Tale of Years: 1936
by Jessica314
Summary: In 1936, the Cullens move to Washington State for the first time, only to make a surprising discovery: they aren't the only supernatural creatures in town. This can be read alone, or as the sixth installment in the Tale of Years Series. Canon-Friendly Twilight Prequel, Edward POV.
1. Moving On

**A/N: Welcome to 1936! This is the next installment in the ****_Tale of Years _****series, a set of Twilight prequels in Edward's point of view. It can be read alone, but I highly recommend reading the whole series in order just to follow along with the development of the characters and their relationships. Sorry this first chapter is a bit short; in fact, I don't anticipate 1936 being too long, as the encounter with the wolves is really the only "event". I'll add some original stuff but you know I'm excited to get to 1950, with Jasper and Alice!**

**Disclaimer: The Twilight Universe belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No profit is made here and no offense intended.**

_We've got a problem._

I stiffened in response to Emmett's thought as he settled down beside me in Algebra. The last time I had heard those words, they had been followed by my brother's mental account of the "accident" he had just had. Two hours after that, we were scrambling to pack and get out of town, before questions could be asked.

"Show me," I muttered under my breath. But as I glanced up to check his eyes, I was relieved to find them the same muddy yellow as they had been this morning. At least it wasn't _that_ kind of problem.

I watched as Emmett replayed the scene. His American History class had gone outside last period, to take advantage of the nice, albeit cloudy, weather. The teacher, in an attempt to engage the students, had decided to reenact the battle of Gettysburg, using the hill behind the football field. It seemed that a trio of Emmett's classmates had gotten a little too enthusiastic, and had ganged up on him, determined to pull him down the hill. But Emmett was already distracted, nervously watching the sky to make sure the sunlight wasn't about to peep through. Instead of toppling, like anybody else would've, Emmett had turned on the boys reflexively, knocking all three of them down the hill with a single sweep of his huge arm. I watched Emmett's memory of their shocked faces as they looked back up at him. It seemed he had managed to cut back on the force in time to prevent injury, at least.

"That doesn't seem so bad," I said. "Anyone who's looked at you can tell that you're stronger than the average tenth grader. But I'll check it out."

It didn't seem that anyone else had witnessed Emmett's slip, and it would be a simple matter to visit the boys' homes later tonight. I would listen for any signs of suspicion, and we would react accordingly. It was a shame I couldn't just check their minds here at school, but a quick sweep of the school told me that all three were thinking about their current classes. No matter; anything to get me away from our house at nighttime was fine by me. Newlywed vampires weren't exactly good company for a telepath.

_Thanks, man._

"Don't mention it. But the next time somebody hits you, do me a favor and fall down, will you?"

_I'll try. _

"Mr. Masen," the teacher said sharply, "Do you have something you'd like to share with the class?" It took me a moment to realize she was speaking to me; we had changed names twice already, in light of Emmett's accidents, and it was difficult changing gears. Ironically enough, now that I was finally Edward Masen again, the name sounded foreign to my ears.

I sat up straight, shooting Emmett a glare as I folded my hands politely on the desk. "No, ma'am. It won't happen again."

She sniffed and moved back into her lecture, keeping one eye on her two newest "chatterboxes" as she introduced the quadratic formula.

I tuned her out, mentally roaming through the rest of the school, looking for something interesting to listen to. Nothing, as usual. I sighed and turned my attention toward the front of the classroom, trying to find patterns in the peeling paint around the chalkboard. At least my brother was providing a bit of entertainment; he was imagining wrestling a gorilla in an imaginary jungle.

It was a good thing I had Emmett and his escapades to keep me entertained, because if I didn't, I'd be literally dying of boredom right now. I _hated_ high school.

.

.

.

I shifted in the dirt, trying to fully hide myself behind the hydrangea bush in Lenny Burton's backyard. I had chosen to come listen at Lenny's house first, since he was the most intelligent of the three. If anyone was going to be suspicious, it was him. He was just now going upstairs to do his homework, and sure enough, the thought of schoolwork prompted him to think of the incident earlier today.

_I can't believe he just knocked us over like rag dolls. __I wonder what kind of weight lifting he does. __Those biceps are bigger than my head! __I guess it was kind of stupid to come uphill at him like that. __But maybe I should start doing pushups every morning…_

That seemed to be it; no harm done. I moved on to Kenneth's house, without about the same results. The sun was just setting as I ran up to Sam Winter's house, and I ducked inside their shed, waiting for Sam to wrap up his basketball game with his brothers, and go think something useful. Just this last stop, and then I could head… well, maybe I would go hunting. Again.

I was running out of excuses for avoiding the house at night. It wasn't that the others didn't understand my predicament, but there really wasn't much they could do about it. Back in Tennessee, we had built a little cottage for Emmett and Rosalie. Still within my range, but far enough away that I could block them out most of the time. They had destroyed the cottage in less than a month, but then, we had to leave not long after that, anyway. A well-meaning coworker of Carlisle's had stopped in to bring some cookies to the "ailing" family, and I hadn't been home to warn Emmett in time. After some falsifying a good amount of evidence, we packed up and left immediately, heading towards Canada, only to have Emmett slip up again en route.

We had stopped for gas in Michigan, with Emmett, Rosalie, and Carlisle in the Mercedes. Emmett, who was in the passenger seat because of his long legs, dutifully held his breath while Carlisle cracked the window just enough to slip some money out to the attendant. But the attendant didn't have the correct change, and walked around the car to get to the cash register. Instead of walking back around to Carlisle's side, he approached Emmett's side of the car, knocking on the glass and motioning for Emmett to roll down the window. Emmett shook his head, which the attendant mistook for an indication that the window was broken. Before I could shout my warning from inside my own car, he pulled open Emmett's door, and that was that. We were just lucky that nobody else was getting gas at the moment.

After taking care of business, we continued our drive up and around the Great Lakes, coming to settle near Thunder Bay. We were relieved to find a fixer-upper well outside of town, complete with a guest house a half-mile back in the woods.

The rest of Emmett's newborn months had come and gone without incident. I had enrolled in university, and Rosalie had stayed home from school with Emmett. Carlisle began gradually desensitizing his newest son over several months, declaring him officially fit for human company in late April. It was rather early, I thought, but Carlisle's theory had stood the test of time; despite his lapses, Emmett's newborn phase had been unusually brief, because of the blood loss before Carlisle had changed him. He and Rosalie began high school, coming in as sophomore transfers not long after that. I felt that I should have gone with them, but agreed it would look rather odd if I dropped out of university in order to repeat the 11th grade. I did take several days off, standing in the shadows by the high school and listening intently for any sign that Emmett was in danger of losing control. But he surpassed my expectations, sufficiently distracted from the humans by Rosalie and by the fact that he had never been to high school before; he actually _enjoyed_ being there. I returned to my own school after a week, satisfied that my brother was officially done his newborn period.

So it really wasn't anyone's fault when the next one happened. Emmett and Rosalie had been walking to school on their last day, enjoying the mild weather. They were cutting through a side street, waving to a housewife who was working on her rosebushes. She lifted her hand to wave back, accidentally dragging her hand across one of the thorns. By the time Rosalie got her hands around Emmett's waist, the woman was already dead. They didn't think that anyone had seen them, and so they quickly took the woman's body into the woods to bury it.

But a quick visit to the woman's home told me that Emmett and Rosalie _had_ been seen running away from her house, carrying "something big"; the neighbor hadn't seen either of their faces, but we knew better than to stick around. There were only so many men in the region that matched Emmett's height and build. We left in a whirlwind, leaving evidence to make it look like we had moved out two days earlier. Emmett and Rosalie had never made it to school that day, thankfully, and it was a Monday; it was as believable as we could manage.

Which had brought us here, to Powell, Wyoming, three months ago. This time we had been unable to find a house with a cottage on the property; hence, my difficulty. But Esme had been accumulating materials, and we were planning to start construction this weekend. I suppose I could start on the foundation tonight. Esme had wisely decided to go with steel beams this time, and-

"I'm telling you, Pop, his arm was like _ice_."

I snapped out of my reverie, cursing my inattention. How much had I missed?

"Well, Sammy, what do you want _me_ to do about it?"

"You're a doctor. Don't you think he has some kind of disease or something?"

"What, because his arm is cold?"

"Well, that wasn't all. He was so _strong_. And his arm was so pale white, and hard like… like a brick wall. Maybe he's not human. Maybe he's some kind of robot."

"A cold robot?"

"Well, I don't know. _You're_ the doctor."

"So is his father. I'm sure Dr. Masen is able to handle any, uh, illnesses that come up in his family."

"He could have killed me, Pop! Aren't you just a little curious? You know you love a medical mystery."

"All right, I'll look into it, Sammy. Don't you have some homework to do?"

"Aw, okay."

I leaned forward, frowning as Dr. Winter mulled over what his son had told him. He worked with Carlisle at the local hospital, and it was obvious that he had always felt there was something "off" about my father.

_Pale and white? __An active, healthy kid should be tan by this time of year. __Pale and white… sounds like Carlisle himself. __Maybe it's some kind of hereditary disease, or photosensitivity. __Come to think of it, the other boy looked kind of sickly when he came into the hospital that one time. __But didn't he say they were all adopted? __And that wouldn't explain what Sam said about the other boy's arm being rock hard, or cold for that matter. __Hmm, I wonder…_

My heart sank as I heard his plan: he was going to think of some excuse to shake Carlisle's hand tomorrow at work, to see if _his_ skin was cold and hard. Dr. Winter's mind was quite scientific, and he was already scrolling through possibilities in his mind to explain the facts he had collected. His eyes drifted across the room; he was standing in what looked like his home office. He glanced through the medical texts on his bookshelves, his mind sifting through diagnoses. His eyes dropped down to the next shelf, and I was even more dismayed to see that he was an avid science fiction reader. His thoughts didn't seem to betray any recognition as his gaze swept over his copy of _Dracula_, but I had already heard enough. This man was dangerous. Intelligent, curious, and imaginative: all strikes against us, in this situation.

For one fraction of a second, I considered taking care of this the easy way. From Sam's memory, I saw that he was the only one who had touched Emmett's skin. The other boys had been standing behind him, and they had fallen like dominoes when Emmett had struck out at Sam. If I eliminated father and son, our problems would be over. The mother wasn't even home, and I could be in and out in less than a minute.

I sighed in exasperation, knowing that it wasn't going to happen. That wasn't how we handled things like this. I could never betray Carlisle in that way. Dr. Winter and his son didn't deserve to die. And besides, my days of murdering humans were over. I didn't exactly share Carlisle's deep respect for the sanctity of human life, and I _certainly_ didn't share his hope for redemption. But I had no desire to become a murderer again. I was just grateful that we had never been placed in a position where we _had_ to kill someone, in order to protect our secret. Hopefully, that day would never come. No, Dr. Winter and his family were safe, from me at least. It was _my_ family that would have to be inconvenienced. It was par for the course, lately.

I ran home, to find everyone out in the yard waiting for me. Carlisle's hopeful expression faded when he saw my face. _Well?_

"It's not good," I reported. Emmett kicked over a nearby tree in frustration, mumbling an apology to everyone. I quickly shared my findings, and everyone agreed that we needed to move on.

"I'll call out tomorrow," Carlisle sighed. "I don't think we need to leave tonight, but definitely before the end of the week." Our frequent moves, and the deaths that had necessitated them, were the hardest on him. Emmett was always appropriately sorry for his accidents, but he didn't let them stick to his conscience for long; he just wasn't the type of man who dwelled on that sort of thing. This made him pleasant to be around, and it also made it easier for him to forgive himself. Carlisle was another story, however. He had taken each death very hard, analyzing each incident in excruciating detail until he found some way to blame himself. The housewife weighed especially on his conscience; it was the first time any of us had killed a woman, and Esme had known her well enough to know that she had two small children at home. _At least nobody died this time. __Am I doing the right thing, letting him go out this early? __But if I keep him at home next time, it will only impede his progress, and I don't want him to lose confidence…_

Esme watched her husband's face, recognizing the familiar sadness. _There he goes again. __I hate it when he does this to himself. _"What about school?" she asked aloud.

"Same as before," my father answered wearily. "We'll call everyone out sick the rest of the week, and then we'll call about the move after we've already left."

"Well, where are we going next?" Rosalie asked, her calm tone hiding her anger. _I know he can't help it. __But this is getting ridiculous. __Maybe he should just stay home next time._

Carlisle thought for a moment. "Edward, didn't you say you wanted to try the Pacific Northwest sometime?"

I brightened. Rosalie and I had first had the idea several months ago, think Emmett would like to try grizzly. Carlisle had promised that we would get there eventually, but both times he had gotten jobs in other locations, before he had heard back from the hospitals he had tried father away. "Yes, I'd like that. How about Oregon?"

"I was thinking a bit north of that," Carlisle replied. "I once traveled through Washington State, back in the 1890's, and the coastal areas looked very promising. The Olympic Mountain Range is home to a temperate rain forest- plenty of good hunting, and plenty of clouds and rainfall."

"Is it heavily populated?" Rosalie asked, shooting a glance at Emmett.

"Not at all," he replied. "There were only two towns that I passed-Hoquiam and Aberdeen, and even those had just been newly incorporated. There is a small Indian Reservation, but it's an hour or so northwest of the towns. There are some smaller communities scattered around, but nothing too crowded."

"How close is it to the ocean?" Emmett asked. _I've always wanted to try hunting underwater. I wonder what whale blood tastes like. __Or shark…_

I just smiled fondly at my brother, shaking my head. Only Emmett.

"Only a few miles," Carlisle answered. "Hoquiam is the westernmost town, and it's right on Gray's Harbor."

"Is there even a hospital for you to work in?" Esme asked, frowning. "It doesn't sound like there's much there." _He needs to work._

"Yes, actually. They were just building one in Aberdeen, when I was there. Quite small, but I'm sure they would be eager to welcome a young doctor, fresh out of medical school. If nobody has any objections, I'd like to go ahead and move there; we can work out schools and such after we've arrived." _It could take weeks to hear back, even if I mailed my résumé out tomorrow. __I'd like to get on the road before we run into any more trouble._

"Sounds good to me," I said. Everyone else nodded their agreement, as well.

"Which name this time?" Rosalie asked. _I wish he would let me use Hale._

"I think it'll be safe to be Cullens again," Carlisle said with a smile. "We'll be quite far away, and in a very remote area." _It may be silly, but I hate using false names._

"So do I," I said. "I thought I would enjoy being Edward Masen again, but it doesn't seem right somehow, not being a Cullen."

Carlisle smiled proudly. "It's settled, then. I'll make the necessary phone calls, and we can begin packing today." We all headed into the house, Emmett muttering another apology to everyone as he ducked inside the front door.

"It's all right," I told him. "I have a good feeling about this move. And you're going to _love _the hunting out there."

He grinned curiously, his guilt already forgotten. "What do you mean by that?"

I shook my head. "You'll see."

I headed upstairs to my room, and pulled my suitcases out from under my bed. I hadn't even bothered to put them up in the attic this time.

**A/N: Please review and let me know what you think so far! I'm also open to ideas, as always. **


	2. Home

**A/N: Apologies for the delay! This chapter took quite a bit of research, and the Renesmee story is taking up a big chunk of my brain right now. Thank you so much for all the reviews, follow and favorites! We still aren't meeting the wolves just yet- the other goal I have for this story is to really make the Cullens fall in love with the Olympic Peninsula enough to stay, despite the werewolves, and to want to return... someday :) Enjoy!**

We reached Hoquiam on September 20th. There was a little motel on Main Street, and we got three adjacent rooms that we would call home until we found a house. Rosalie and Esme shared one, while Carlisle, Emmett and I had the second, and the third held our belongings. Rosalie and Emmett weren't too happy with the arrangement, but Esme insisted on it, saying that having them wreck a hotel room probably wouldn't do much for Carlisle's reputation as the new town doctor.

It turned out that the hospital in Aberdeen was badly in need of a physician- _any_ physician. The last one had moved on two years ago, and they had been making do with nurses and the occasional interim clinician since then. It was a whole new role for Carlisle, and it meant that he would need to work days, at least most of the time. He was welcomed with open arms, and funding was made available for him to order any equipment he wanted.

The first problem he needed to address was the sunlight. The hospital was an ugly thing, built entirely of wood. Whoever had built it must have been trying to make up for the appearance, because they had installed a ridiculous number of windows. Carlisle told the Board of Trustees that he felt the hospital needed a more "homey" feel to it, and invited Esme to come in and decorate. She had the time of her life, adding personal touches to the waiting room, Carlisle's office, and the treatment rooms. But her main task- the real one- was cutting down on the natural light. She was sewing day and night in the hotel room making curtains, and Carlisle hired a local handyman to install awnings over each window- a necessity for any hospital on a tight budget, he claimed.

But his biggest proposal was the garage. With the way the property was laid out, the employee parking lot was spread out behind a small pond, which lay immediately behind the hospital. Carlisle would have a five-minute walk to and from the building- not exactly ideal for a vampire working the day shift. And the front lot wasn't much better- it was a much shorter walk to the main entrance, but well in sight of all the patients and visitors who were always coming and going in daytime. Carlisle proposed the construction of a garage, or at least a covered lot for the employees. Unfortunately, for this to be close enough, the pond would have be drained and filled. It was the only spot such a project would work on, since the rest of the terrain was too hilly.

The Board of Trustees shot down this expensive idea immediately, saying that it was completely unnecessary for a hospital with such a small staff to have a garage for employee parking. It was a real problem, and for a couple of days it looked like the job simply wasn't going to work out. In the end Rosalie was the one who came up with the solution.

"You know what your problem is, Carlisle?" she complained. "You're too _nice_. Other doctors are stuck up and arrogant, and they would never stand for a five-minute walk anywhere. Whereas you would uproot your entire family just because you won't push for a stupid garage! God forbid you should actually _offend_ someone!"

Esme had had enough by that point, and sent Rosalie back to the other hotel room to think about her rudeness. "We'll just have to think of something else," she soothed.

"No, she's right," Carlisle admitted. "I hate to play that kind of role, but I _am_ the only physician in town, and I might as well act like I'm entitled to the things I want. We don't want to be too friendly, after all." _Just in case Emmett slips again- best to stay on the fringes._

He returned to the Board of Trustees the next day, reluctantly ready to play the arrogant physician. He made it clear that he understood why they would shy away from such a large construction project, but that he would be damned if his new car was going to sit out in the elements day after day, and if they didn't like it, he would be happy to find employment elsewhere. After an hour of heated debate, a compromise was finally reached: a private carport would be added onto the side of the building, next to one of the side doors, for "Physicians' Parking Only". Carlisle hated to start off his new job with such a reputation, but we were all glad that he had done it: we had only been in town a week, and we had already fallen in love with the Olympic Peninsula.

The land was unique, to say the least. The Peninsula was the northwestern chunk of Washington State, tucked up under Vancouver Island and home to the Olympic Mountains. Bordered by the Pacific on the west, the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the north, and the Puget Sound on the East, the entire peninsula was one big swirl of moisture. The Sound itself split into hundreds of fingers, sending inlets cutting into the lowlands toward Hoquiam from the east. Hoquiam itself was situated right on Gray's Harbor, giving the town an especially dense cloud cover; it was quite possible that this was the freest we had ever been, in terms of the sunlight limiting our activities.

We hadn't been hunting yet, what with Carlisle and Esme being so busy with the hospital. But I had spent much of the week hanging around the town, learning what I could. This was something I always did, every time we moved. As the family telepath, it was my job to keep an ear out for any suspicious thoughts that our arrival might cause, and it was especially important in a small town such as this one. Our family was larger than ever now, and it was inevitable that people were going to notice the similarities in our appearance, if not our behavior. We had decided that it would be best not to all appear together in public for some time; it was better to wait until the gossip caused by our arrival had died down. Still, I made my rounds as usual, making sure to spend time near the police station, the drugstore, and any other spot that seemed to attract the local busybodies.

I hadn't noticed any problems so far. But unlike the previous times, my reconnaissance turned up more than local gossip. I had noticed a trio of retired men who seemed to always be sitting outside the barbershop, and, from their thoughts, it seemed they were avid hunters and trappers. Having nothing better to do, they seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time talking and thinking about the wildlife in the region, and the business that they had made off of that wildlife for most of their lives. One of them was particular helpful, his mind always picturing the terrain in map form.

I had no business in the barbershop, but there was a general store next door- the perfect spot for any newcomer to spend time shopping, especially if that newcomer was a telepath, interested in eavesdropping. I found every excuse I could to go shopping there in our first week, moving slowly through the aisles so that I could listen to the conversation and thoughts of the men sitting next door. When I ran out of things to buy, I spent hours parked around the corner, "reading" a newspaper as I listened.

The chief mode of conversation between the men was griping. It seemed that thirty or so years ago, the first President Roosevelt had reorganized the Olympic Reserve into a National Forest, an act which led to a moratorium on elk hunting. My retirees were always grumping about how the moratorium had led to an explosion in the elk population throughout their favorite parts of the forest, which in turn had led to similar explosions in the predatory populations. There seemed to be no end to the cycle, since most of the peninsula was temperate rain forest: an endless green banquet for the elks, leading to an endless elk banquet for the cougars, coyotes, black bears and so on.

"It ain't right," one of the men growled as he spat, adding to the tobacco stains on the porch. "A man shouldn't have to take his life in his hands ever' time he goes to check his lines. "

"No point in checking anymore," his companion said sulkily. "Coyotes make off with the marmots, more often than not. Ain't got a decent pelt in two years."

I grinned at the lie; it was obvious that the trio hadn't actually stirred out of town recently. But their news about the wildlife seemed to be accurate, if a little behind. I had caught the clerk in the general store thinking about the elk problem, as well. Only she was planning ahead, ordering more hunting gear for the next season. There were rumors that the moratorium would soon be lifted, at least within the next two years; but for now, the Olympic National Forest was sounding better and better. I returned home each day, poring over maps with Emmett in an effort to guess where the best spots might be. I was disappointed to learn that there were no grizzlies here on the peninsula, but I was still determined to give Emmett his surprise soon. This forest was only our backyard hunting ground, after all. Carlisle had originally been drawn to the Pacific Northwest because there were so _many_ National Forests around.

By the time Friday night rolled around, Emmett and I were champing at the bit. We were already waiting in my car when Carlisle got home from work, and l leaned on the horn as Emmett yelled for Rosalie to come out. She wasn't nearly as excited as we were, of course. Hunting was a necessary ablution for her, but nothing more. Esme followed her out the door, still thinking about the colors she wanted to put in the bathroom at the hospital. As we drove, Emmett annoyed everyone in the back seat with his pile of maps, chattering on about all that I had learned throughout the week in regards to the Forest.

We wouldn't usually drive, of course- we were all faster than the car, and it was a mere thirty-mile run to the lower slopes of the Olympic Range. But our hotel was right on Main Street, and we didn't want to risk being seen all together walking out of town at such an odd hour. The delay only served to make us all look forward to our appointment with the realtor tomorrow. Rosalie and Emmett had spent most of their free time this week scoping out houses, and it sounded like there was at least one good possibility. After five nights of sitting quietly in a hotel with nothing to do, we were all ready to settle for the first shack we came across, so long as it was far enough out.

.

.

.

Two hours later, I was draped comfortably in the lower branches of an ancient cedar, sighing contentedly after a meal of cougar blood. As I waited for my family to return from their own hunting, I wondered to myself why people insisted on creating different regional names for the same species. My favorite prey could be referred to as a mountain lion, cougar, panther, painter, catamount… ridiculous. They all tasted the same. But now that we were living here, I decided that I would begin calling them cougars as well.

The hunting had been even better than we had anticipated. The elk population was indeed overflowing, and it had been a simple matter to stalk the predators that were stalking the herds that we found. Not that elk was bad- it was far better than regular deer. But for the foreseeable future, we would be feasting like kings, able to get carnivores every time we went out. In most of our homes, we had been obliged to pace ourselves, or to travel further out more often if we wanted anything better than deer. Carlisle had followed the first President Roosevelt's environmental programs with great interest, and had decided, even before creating me, that he would do his part in contributing to an appropriate balance in animal populations. This had become more of an issue as our family had grown, and also as the human population continued to ruin that balance, through over-hunting and development. In Tennessee, we had been able to relax the rules a bit, but that was only until Emmett had come along. His voracious appetite had really put a strain on the bear population in our corner of the Smokies.

But here, it seemed that we would have free reign. We had come up fairly high into the subalpine treeline tonight, but I knew that each level of the Range would offer its own variety of flavors, due to the selection of available prey, but also to their diet. There were unlimited trout streams in the lowlands, giving the black bears a nice rich taste. And really, I didn't mind elk that had been feeding exclusively on evergreens- and the blood of cougars that fed on those evergreen-fed elk was _exquisite_.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when the tree began to sway wildly, its core groaning in protest as it began to break. As it toppled, I leapt out of the branches, ripping a gash in my shirt as I jumped clear of the falling branches. I landed on the ground in a crouch, frowning down at my torn sleeve.

"Was that really necessary, Emmett?"

"Yup." _I called your name like four times. __What were you thinking about so hard?_

"Cougar blood. What'd you get?"

"Three bears. And Goldilocks, too."

"Funny. Where's Rosalie?"

"She joined Esme for some coyote. Say, Eddie…"

I bared my teeth. "_Edward_."

"Edward. Anyway, I didn't drink that much- what do you say to coming back tomorrow night? We could see what's poking around up on top of Olympus."

I nodded in agreement. I hadn't even felt the need to "fill up" tonight either- there was too much exploring to do to cram it all into one evening. I laughed aloud when I saw Emmett's idea to spend Sunday night out in the ocean; he wanted to try out his whale idea.

As we drove home later that night, we were all chattering about the Forest and everything we had seen and tasted. Everyone-even Rosalie- was excited about our new habitat. And if we could find a house tomorrow, we could _really_ begin to relax and explore. I couldn't remember the last time we had been so excited about a location. There was just something about this place…

I only hoped that Emmett would behave himself long enough for us to enjoy our new home.

.

.

.

Our appointment with the realtor had originally been for nine o'clock the next morning, but the first burst of sunshine had finally made its appearance. Carlisle called the realty office to delay the appointment, saying that two of his children weren't feeling well, and that he wanted to make sure they were all right before he went out for the day.

By eleven, the clouds had returned, and there was a sharp rap at our hotel room door. Carlisle opened it to find an average-looking young man with chocolate-brown eyes and a clumsy demeanor.

"Morning, Dr. Cullen. Harold Swan, Olympic Realty," the man said as he stuck his hand out. Carlisle accepted the handshake, having warmed up his own hand as soon as we heard the car parking.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Swan. My wife, Esme, and my son, Edward. I'm afraid my older two are a bit under the weather today, so it'll be just the three of us."

"Quite all right, Doctor. Shall we take my car?"

Esme and I rode in the backseat while Carlisle chatted with the realtor up front. We had agreed beforehand that Carlisle would do the talking, and that he would ask as many questions as possible about the region. We had found in the past that realtors were always a good source of local information, and with me around, we would get double.

But there was something odd about Harold Swan's thoughts. I had just the very smallest difficulty with hearing his thoughts- it was like his mind was slightly muted. It wasn't that it took _effort_ to hear him, exactly, but I did have to concentrate more than usual. I had noticed so many variations in people's minds, though- no doubt this was just another peculiarity.

"Yes sir, you've stumbled upon the last frontier in the U.S. of A.," he was saying. "Plenty of room for a man to stretch out. You a hunting man, Doctor?"

Carlisle gave him a small smile. "Now and then. And I like what you said about stretching out. We're looking for a place well outside of town- nice and quiet. Preferably close to the mountains."

"Well, have I got the place for you- twenty acres, lakeside, four bedrooms… and quite a steal, I might add." _It is rather nice- if you don't like people. __I might finally have a chance to unload it, if I play my cards right._

"Sounds nice," Carlisle said noncommittally. "How far from the nearest neighbor?"

Harold shrugged. "What neighbors? At least six miles, I'd say. Nothing but peace and quiet between here and the Olympics."

Carlisle peeked into the side mirror, giving me a questioning look. I nodded back. So far, the property sounded like it met our two biggest requirements: isolated and close to our hunting grounds.

Fifteen minutes later, the house came into view. The "lake" was really a pond that had seen better days, and the twenty acres that Harold had boasted were thick with spruce trees- less than a full acre was actually cleared. The porch- which looked to have been quite nice at once time- was a sagging, half-rotten disaster. The house itself was badly in need of a paint job, but otherwise looked sound.

_Ugh, I forgot how hideous the front was_, Harold thought. _Better draw their attention to the natural beauty._ "These are Sitka Spruce trees- nothing but forest from here on out. You're in the logging capitol of the country, Dr. Cullen, and these particular trees are what brought the industry to life. Their wood was high in demand during the Great War- airplanes, I mean. Nothing but untouched nature, and right in your own backyard."

"Yes, quite nice," Carlisle said thoughtfully. He was already convinced. "Now, about the house…" He turned to Esme.

"It looks like it needs some work," Esme murmured, her mind already full of projects, options and shopping lists.

Harold mistook her comment. "Nothing major," he said quickly. "Let's look inside, shall we?" He stepped gingerly up the ramshackle porch, only to stumble over the threshold. Carlisle had followed closely, and was able to steady him before he fell.

The interior was in much better shape. Everything was hardwood- the floors, walls, the counters, everything. I inhaled quietly, my nose detecting no plaster, cement or wallboard anywhere. It smelled _wonderful_, and to my surprise, there was no trace of human scent, other than Harold's. Esme's smile grew as she walked through the rooms, and our realtor's hopes began to rise.

"Did I mention the house is ready to go? The owners have already moved on." _Three years ago._ "Ma'am, you could be cooking in your new kitchen in…. well, I'd say two weeks. Once we make arrangements for the mortgage-"

"We'd be paying cash," Carlisle said casually, running his hands over the built-in bookshelves in the master bedroom.

"Of course," Harold said, breaking into a sweat. "Yes sir, you could stock the lake right back up, and hunt right in your own backyard- could even sleep there, if you wanted. At the back edge of the property is an old hunting cabin, and-"

"How far back?" I interrupted, thinking of Rosalie and Emmett.

Harold turned to me, as if noticing my presence for the first time. "Well, now… a good mile and a half, I'd say."

"It's perfect," I blurted out. "We'll take it."

.

.

.

After a few hours of phone calls and paperwork, we were presented with the keys to the house. We engaged a moving van to bring our belongings early in the next week, and headed back to the hotel to pick up Rosalie and Emmett. They were eager to see their cabin, and we decided to spend the rest of the weekend in our new home; most of our boxes were full of props, anyway.

Later that night, Emmett and I reached the top of Mount Olympus. It was the highest point I had ever stood upon, and as Emmett ran back down to track a coyote, I stayed alone to survey the land around me. The summit itself was a rocky wasteland, with more and more green visible as my eyes travelled down the slopes. Under the quietness of the starlit sky, I could see the telltale quiver of a thousand separate trees as the nocturnal wildlife went about their business.

The forest surrounding me was the lushest, greenest land I had ever seen. I supposed that to a human, it might be too overgrown, and far too damp, but it was perfect for _me_. I was so cold and dead, myself, that it felt good to be surrounded by such vitality; the forest was practically pulsing with life. The raw beauty of the nature here was such that I could forget what I was, if I let myself. I could forget that I wasn't human. I could forget that I had the blood of nearly a thousand men on my hands. I could forget the fact that I was alone, in a family of two perfectly matched couples. I could forget, if just for a moment, that I would never be able to truly settle anywhere- that I would be roaming the earth for millennia to come.

But if I _could_ settle somewhere, if I _could_ call a place home, this would be it.


	3. Edward Cullen, Linguist

**A/N: A couple disclaimers for this chapter, which deals with the Quileute Nation, its history, and its language. First of all, I'm using the term "American Indian" because that was the proper term at the time. Also, the information in this chapter is a mix of historical fact and my own inference. I have used a lot of sources for the historical/linguistic stuff, and there were a few inconsistencies that I had to smooth over. But if you see any obvious errors, please let me know. And I also apologize for any incorrect inference regarding cultural attitudes back in the 30's. I did the best I could, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Wolves are coming soon, but not yet... Never listen to me when I say "this story will be short" LOL!**

* * *

Over the next few days, we settled into our normal routine. Esme got right to work on the house, and Emmett, Rosalie and I began high school. At first, I was quite disappointed to be repeating the tenth grade- _again_\- but I kept my protests to myself. The Peninsula was sadly lacking in terms of higher education, and besides, I wanted to keep an eye on Emmett.

But as it turned out, I wasn't as bored as usual. I had found the minds of the students and teachers here in Hoquiam to be unusually fascinating. First, there was the fact that many of them were involved in the hunting, trapping and fishing that was so prevalent here. I learned more every day about our new home, just by observing the plans and memories of the humans around me. My U.S. History teacher was particular helpful- he was a photographer in his spare time, and his favorite subjects were cougars. Quite a dangerous hobby, for a human- but immensely helpfully to _me_. Through his mind, I learned some of the best spots for finding my favorite prey, both on and off the Peninsula, as well as hundreds of other interesting naturalist tidbits.

But secondly, I enjoyed learning about local history through the minds around me. We were in such an isolated area, and that area so recently settled, that the people here had a strong sense of local identity. By the end of my first week at the school, I had already overheard several hours of thoughts and conversations regarding the area's commerce, the steady rise of the logging industry and the resulting towns that were popping up, the controversy surrounding the elk moratorium, and the dubious history with the local Indian tribes.

This last was a most fascinating topic. As I had mentally roamed the school on my first day, I had been surprised to overhear an elderly man thinking in a language I had never heard before. It had a most peculiar sound, featuring impossibly long words and several types of clicks and glottal stops. I eagerly decided to tackle learning this mystery language- it would provide an interesting diversion, for a few weeks, at least. I had learned thirteen languages before now, most of which I had been able to easily absorb by mental immersion, as I followed my subject's mind throughout a school year.

But this language was _so_ foreign, and _so_ complex, that I was truly at a loss as to how to begin. It didn't help that the man I was overhearing seemed to having little to no interaction with anyone else in the school; Lawrence was the janitor, and either because of this position, or because of his race- which seemed to some sort of American Indian- nobody ever seemed to talk to him. As a result, I was hardly ever able to hear him speaking English, which would have given me the opportunity to get some insights into his own language as he translated in his mind. For the first time in my second life, I was truly stumped.

Of course, this challenge made me all the more eager to learn. While he was out to lunch one day, I stole into Lawrence's office, hoping to find some of the language written down somewhere- in his personal notes regarding his job, a letter from his wife, a book, a tribal newsletter, _anything_.

Nothing.

I spent the rest of the day listening in vain to Lawrence's mind, my frustration growing as the language taunted me. The more I listened, the more frustrated I got.

"It's like no language I've ever heard before, and it's driving me crazy," I complained to Carlisle one evening.

"I can see that," he chuckled. _You're not used to failure, are you? _"Now, why don't you let me hear a sample?"

I shrugged, not seeing the point. If I, being a mind-reader, couldn't figure it out, then how was Carlisle going to help? But I humored him, rattling off some of the phrases I had overheard - for all I knew, I was telling Carlisle how many mops were in the school, or how impossible the stain on the library floor was to get out. He closed his eyes, focusing not on the words, but on the sounds.

"Quileute," he said finally. "It's definitely Quileute. Not that surprising, considering how close we are to the reservation."

"But how do you know? It could just as easily be Malaysian, for all I can tell. And don't tell me _you_ understand a word of it, because I know you don't."

He just gave me an amused smile. "You may be a telepath, Edward, but I'm a doctor. I have the opportunity to observe and overhear far more people than you do in school. I've had a few patients, here and there, from the reservation. Most of them speak English- at least the younger ones- but I know they're Quileute, because they told me. And the language you just spoke sounds exactly like the whispers I have overheard from my patients, when they speak to their family members behind my back."

"All right," I admitted, "so it's Quileute. At least now I know what to buy in the bookstore."

"Bookstore?"

"I need to get a Quileute-to-English dictionary. I've always learned by mental immersion before, but it's not working this time." It galled me to no end that I needed any sort of help. But if I would ever have a chance at learning this language, I was going to have to cheat… just a little. Perhaps I would only read a few pages, and try to learn the rest on my own.

Carlisle shook his head. "That might be difficult, Edward, considering the language has no written form." He replayed a memory for me: in the hospital two weeks ago, he had pulled aside the English-speaking daughter of one of his Quileute patients, expressing his desire to begin learning the language, in order to communicate with his patients more effectively. She had just looked at him in confusion, saying that if he wanted to learn Quileute, he would have to _be_ Quileute. After ten minutes of roundabout conversation, Carlisle had finally deduced that the language had never been written down; there wasn't even an alphabet.

"Well, how am I supposed to learn it, then?"

"The old fashioned way, I suppose," Carlisle answered. "Talk to him."

.

.

.

I tried the very next day. Arriving early at the school, I found Lawrence polishing some of the furniture in the main office, humming some ancient hunting song to himself. I could see the images clearly; the carved prow of a whaling canoe, slicing through the water, and Lawrence's younger, unwrinkled hands gripping his spear. It was obviously a memory from long ago- but I could almost taste the salt air through his thoughts, and I could almost feel my own heart beating with the thrill of the hunt. This taunted me even more than Lawrence's regular thoughts- I could tell that there was a rich cultural history just _waiting_ to be learned, if I could only-

"Can I help you?" Lawrence asked over his shoulder in heavily accented English. He was still kneeling beside the principle's desk, polishing furiously. I dove eagerly into his mind as he spoke, hoping for some clues. Nothing I could get a grip on so far; I needed to keep him talking.

"Yes, thank you," I said politely. "I came early to work on a project, and I'm looking for a dictionary." I hoped to get him thinking about languages in general, if I could.

"All right." He lumbered to his feet, his joints creaking in protest. He finally turned, and looked me right in the eye. I nearly gasped aloud when I saw his next thought: he was picturing me with _fangs_. He was imagining me leaping toward him, my open mouth diving toward his throat. Every muscle in my body tensed as I registered the thought. What could I have possibly done to blow my cover?! I took a step back from him, my eyes darting down to my arm to make sure some stray patch of sunlight hadn't found me.

But as quickly as the thought had risen in his mind, it was gone. The image was replaced with my real face, and he chuckled to himself as he shook his head, thinking a long string of Quileute gibberish as he smiled politely to me. When he saw the fear on my face, he frowned and the laughter died in his throat.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I mumbled. "Dictionary?"

He nodded and plodded over to the massive bookshelf against the wall, pulling out a thick red volume. As he handed it to me, another startling image arose in his mind: he was imagining me lifting a car over my head. I swallowed as I took the dictionary from him, letting my hand dip as I took the "heavy" item.

"Thanks," I said, making my escape. I made sure to stumble over my feet on the way out, soliciting another round of chuckling and mental rambling in Quileute.

When I reached my classroom, I sank down in my chair, thinking. It didn't seem that Lawrence truly believed that I was a vampire, but I couldn't be sure. It seemed that something about me had sparked the idea, but that he had dismissed it quickly. And the fact that he hadn't been afraid of me seemed to mean that he had never really considered it.

But how had he jumped to such an idea in the first place? I was aware that vampires were still believed in, in various uncivilized parts of the world. Whether this was due to the integrity of oral tradition through the millennia, or to the Volturi occasionally failing to clean up properly, was anybody's guess. Could it be that vampires were featured in some of the oral tradition of _this_ culture? Or worse, had a vampire recently hunted on the reservation, and been seen doing so?

I could be overthinking this, of course. Perhaps Lawrence had seen Dracula back when it had come out. Perhaps he had stayed up late last night reading some vampire novel. Perhaps he had had a nightmare recently about vampires. Any of these were plausible, and my pale skin could have triggered a momentary suspicion, based on his prior knowledge of vampire myth. But even a half-hearted suspicion, spoken to the wrong sort of people, could result in a newspaper article. And if that article were to have the words "Cullen" and "vampires" anywhere near each other, then we were going to be in some serious trouble- no matter how fast we high-tailed it out of town.

In any case, it was _imperative_ now that I learn Quileute. And I wasn't going to risk any more suspicion by talking to Lawrence again. I needed to get inside his mind, and I needed to do it soon. Once I managed it, one of two things was going to happen: either I would be able to put my fears to rest, or I was going to have to kill him.

.

.

.

I shared my concerns with Carlisle that evening, and while he felt that Lawrence's thoughts were probably not a threat, he wanted me to continue to try and learn Quileute, so that I could be sure. He also informed me, rather stiffly, that nobody was going to kill anybody. It was decided that we would continue to go about our business, but with an extra effort to appear human, whenever the school janitor was watching. Emmett seemed to enjoy the challenge at first, but he quickly lost interest at lunch the second day.

"He's here," I whispered to my siblings. We had joined some of our classmates at one of the larger tables; not the way we liked to do it, but now was not the time to be seen as anti-social, or different in any way.

Rosalie's eyes darted over to the janitor, who had been called down to clean up a spilled pitcher of milk. _What's he thinking?_

"Nothing unusual. No… wait." Lawrence's eyes finally rested on us- all three of us. Though I couldn't understand his thoughts, there seemed to be a tone of humor as he pictured Emmett jumping out of his chair and attacking the girl next to him, lifting her out of her chair with one hand as he bent down to bite her neck.

"Emmett," I whispered frantically. "Eat something."

_What?_

"He's picturing you drinking blood. Take a bite of something, _now_."

_You've got to be kidding me._

"Do it," I growled, stuffing a roll in my own mouth. Rosalie let out a long-suffering sigh and delicately picked up her fork, taking a tiny bite of her own lunch as Emmett shoved an entire serving of meatloaf into his mouth at once.

_Oh, that's just… that's just gross._

We chewed mechanically while Lawrence watched, and I finally heard the sound of his raspy chuckling as he pulled his mop out of the bucket and began to clean up the spill. The vampire images disappeared from his mind.

"Good so far," I whispered. "Keep eating, both of you."

Emmett slammed his fist on the table, glaring at me as he swallowed the meatloaf and shoveled in a forkload of carrots. _If I find out that this was some kind of prank…_

"I wish it was," I sighed, taking a bite of the meatloaf myself. It was _awful_. Was this even meat? It bore no resemblance whatsoever to any animal _I_ had ever smelled. I chewed mechanically, struggling to keep myself from grimacing as I swallowed.

We kept eating until Lawrence left the room. I followed his mind out the door, watching closely for any further vampire images. There didn't seem to be any.

"I think we're all right," I said, discreetly raising my napkin to my lips and spitting out the last bite I had taken.

"How are we _all right_?" Rosalie hissed behind her hands. "We moved last time because somebody noticed about our skin! And it's worse this time- he's actually thinking about vampires!"

"No, this is different," I whispered back. "The images seemed to have a humorous tone to them, and both times he seemed to dismiss the idea and laughed afterward. I don't see any evidence of fear, or even curiosity."

"Well that's good, because I'm _sick_ of moving," Emmett complained. _I mean, I know it's usually my fault, but still._

"Emmett," I said patiently, "We had to move last time because the features of our skin were brought to the attention of a very intelligent, and curious, doctor. He was actually making plans to find out more about us. But a couple of stray thoughts are no reason to pick up and move. You wouldn't believe the things I've heard in people's minds about our family, through the years. We don't move every time someone has a peculiar thought about us."

"Okay," Rosalie said, relaxing. "So there's no problem, then."

"I didn't say that, exactly. I just said there doesn't _seem_ to be a problem. But I won't know until I can learn the language."

"Well, hurry up and learn it, then," Emmett growled. "But the next time, _you're_ doing the eating." He rubbed his stomach, grimacing. Rosalie and I were uncomfortable as well. In fact, for the first time in my seventeen years as a vampire, I felt physically _sick_. I had taken bites of food before, but I had never eaten _this_ much. I leaned my head on my hands, moaning as my petrified stomach ached to expel the foreign matter I had forced into it.

"Are you going to eat that?" the boy next to me asked, pointing rudely to the remainder of my meatloaf. I shook my head, passing him the tray.

"Thanks. Hey, you're the new kids, right? I'm Larry Newton." He stuck his hand out, and I reached up to shake it, after rubbing my hand on my pants leg to warm it up.

"Edward Cullen," I said at human volume. "My older brother and sister, Emmett and Rosalie."

"Pleased to meet you," he mumbled, staring at Rosalie openly. This kind of attention usually pleased her, but all she could think about was emptying her stomach. She folded her arms on the table and laid her face down, much to the chagrin of our new "friend". I was just glad that Emmett wasn't a mind reader- if he heard the things going through Larry's mind right now, he would have blown our cover in all sorts of ways. As it was, he sat there glaring until Larry finally turned away.

Fortunately, the bell rang not long after that, and Emmett and I ran into the boy's restroom while Rosalie went on to hers. There were other students inside, and so Emmett limited himself to shouting a string of profanity as he coughed up the food, saving the _real_ insults for my mental ears.

_-and the next time we go hunting, I'm going to rub your face right in the-_

I left Emmett still cussing in the restroom, and focused on Lawrence's mind again. I stayed latched onto his thoughts for the remainder of the day, just letting the words wash through my mind. But, as before, my brain couldn't find anything in the sounds to grab hold of. I had never felt so incompetent before. It was _maddening_.

.

.

.

It was a great relief, then, when Carlisle presented me with a gift three days later. He wanted it to be a surprise, so he kept thinking about work as I tore off the brown paper. It was a book entitled "Handbook of American Indian Languages", and it smelled quite new.

"Turn to page 154," Carlisle instructed. I eagerly flipped the pages, to find a section titled "Quileute", by a linguist named Manual Andrade. There were only six pages, and there was no actual vocabulary listed, but the phonology of the language was discussed in detail.

"It's not much," Carlisle admitted, "but it's a start."

I grinned up at him. "This is great, Carlisle, thank you." I walked slowly up the stairs to my bedroom, pronouncing the sounds as I read about them. By midnight, I had constructed a partial alphabet, using what I had learned from the text, and by five in the morning I had completed it, using the sounds that I had been hearing in Lawrence's mind. I hadn't seen any more suspicious images in his thoughts since that day in the lunchroom, and as my fears about him decreased, I was beginning to really enjoy the linguistic challenge. I had even invented several new letters to match the strange sounds that I had overheard.

Armed with my new alphabet, I eagerly settled into Lawrence's mind as soon as I arrived at school the next morning. I followed his every thought for the next two weeks, and, ever so slowly, I was finally able to unravel the language, now that I knew how to listen to it.

The language itself was still difficult, though, even with my new insights. For one thing, the words were so _long_. Instead of organizing his sentences into subjects, nouns, verbs, and objects as separate words, they ran together in Lawrence's mind as single words, making it difficult to identify the parts of speech. Then there were all the clicks and glottal stops to be considered, and those came across differently in his thoughts than they would have verbally. Harder still were the prefixes- there were thousands of them, and it wasn't until one day that Lawrence called his son during a lunch break, that I was able to figure out the basics behind the _use_ of the prefixes.

I had previously made Carlisle repeat every Quileute conversation he had ever heard, and I had noticed the shifting pronunciation at the beginning of some words; now, as I listened to the phone conversation, I realized that some of Lawrence's words were beginning with the root word for "son", blended with the root word for "tall". It appeared that each person that was being spoken to received a different prefix, based on either their physical appearance or their relationship to the speaker. It was only a theory of mine so far, but it seemed to check out. While Lawrence was rarely "addressing" anyone in his thoughts, my new understanding of the morphology of the words helped me organize my observations, and I learned more quickly after that. Now that I was finally getting somewhere, I was really enjoying myself. I actually looked _forward_ to going to school now.

After three weeks, I was confident enough to gather my family together on a Friday night and begin teaching them the language. Emmett fell over laughing when I began to demonstrate the rougher sounds, and Rosalie refused to participate at all, muttering to herself about "backward savages". But they both stayed to listen until the sun set, and then they went back to their cottage. Carlisle and Esme, however, were quite intrigued, and I taught them throughout the night and well into the next day.

"This is fascinating, son," Carlisle said around noon. "But what about the vampire suspicions that you saw in the beginning?"

"I haven't seen any more. He clearly sees us as normal human teenagers. I think that those first suspicions were just errant thoughts, based on the oral tradition of his people. It does seem that some of the ancient stories involve vampires, and I think he just thought of them when he saw how pale I was that one day."

"What stories, exactly?" Carlisle asked with a frown.

I shrugged. "I don't know any specifics. I just see pieces, here and there, and imagined pictures. Most of the bits are memories from childhood, sitting at his grandfather's feet and hearing the old stories. It seems that as a child, he was always curious to meet a vampire. But he doesn't really believe in our kind- not anymore, at any rate. I know _that_ much."

"Well, I think that our fears can be laid to rest," Carlisle agreed. "If there really were vampires in the area, it seems that it was a very long time ago. Well done, Edward."

"I've also learned quite a bit about the tribe itself," I added.

"Like what?" Esme asked. "I know they're a fishing culture, and that they live on a reservation, but that's about it."

"Mostly recent events," I answered. "It seems that prior to the 1850s, the Peninsula had been home to at least five tribes: the Quileute, the Makah, Chimakum, the S'Klallam, and the Quinault. At least the first two had primarily had been- and still are- fishing and whaling cultures, with their own distinct languages and histories. There used to be a lot of warring between the tribes, though I think that was further back in the past. The Makah had originally come down from Vancouver, and I haven't heard anything about the others. The origin of the Quileutes is a mystery, though, even to themselves- it seems to be a piecemeal story in which history is heavily flavored with myth. Something about wolves- either they had once been wolves, or some of their ancestors were werewolves, or some such nonsense. At any rate, the Quileutes are proud of their unique, isolated heritage. Their language is especially unique."

"You got all this from Lawrence's thoughts?" Esme asked incredulously.

"Partially. But some of the teachers at the school think about the history of the tribe, as well, since it's so close by. My U.S. History teacher is actually thinking about writing a book on the subject- his mind been particularly helpful. Anyway, the reservation was formed back in 1889. The government of Washington Territory had already negotiated a couple of treaties with the Quileutes and the other tribes, several years before that- and they had somehow managed to get the Quileutes to hand over some 800,000 acres of forest. The village of La Push had already been established by 1889, and so the reservation lines were simply drawn around it. The reservation itself was only one square mile, and almost everything in it was burned to the ground later that same year when a white settler came in and tried to stake a claim to reservation land."

Esme was horrified. "That's awful! They must be so mistrusting of white Americans."

I shrugged. "I don't see that in Lawrence's mind, although I gather that the rest of his family feels that way. They don't approve of his working at the high school."

"Well, surely they've enlarged the reservation since then," she said hopefully.

"No, they haven't," I sighed. "After the fire, it was rebuilt exactly as it was before. It's not like there are a lot of Quileutes, and it's debatable which lands came from which tribes when the Territory took over. But all it all, I'd say they got a pretty raw deal."

"I'll say," Carlisle said coldly. _Unbelievable. __When I came to the New World, this isn't the sort of thing I was expecting. __I didn't know things like this were still going on. __This was less than fifty years ago!_

"I agree. But it's not quite as bad as it sounds, I suppose. After Washington became a state, some of the Quileutes that were living by the Hoh River got their own reservation. And the tribe does have legal hunting and fishing rights which extend far beyond the borders of the reservation. And they had always-"

"They shouldn't _need_ those legal rights," Carlisle interrupted, his voice raising slightly. "If they're like other American Indians I've encountered, they have always viewed the land as belonging to no one- not individuals, and not governments. If anything, the people belong to the _land_. Forcing them draw lines, and crowd into reservations, and sign away their traditional hunting grounds in exchange for "rights"-it's insulting! This country was meant to be a place where different peoples could live in harmony, not push each other into corners!"

Esme and I just stared at him. It seemed that he was no longer the humble doctor, but the eager settler who had come to America on a ship in the early 1700s- a relatively young vampire, full of idealistic dreams and eager to offer a new land his patriotism.

"Forgive me," he said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to… it's not that I don't love this country. I have found every happiness here." He slipped his arm around Esme's shoulders, and he nodded to include me, as well. "And I will always be grateful for the education and opportunities I have received in the United States. But there are times when I remember why I first came here..."

I closed my eyes, immersing myself in Carlisle's memory. He was on the deck of a rocking ship, his thirst a constant fire in his throat as he struggled to keep up his human charade for the three-month journey to the New World. He was obliged to "sleep" at night, and feeding was quite difficult- he had to slip below decks at odd hours and pick off one or two of the livestock that were kept for food, or bound for farms in the New World. The selection was poor, and he hunted as rarely as he could, in order to avoid notice. He was appalled at the living quarters inside the ship, and even more appalled at the death rate during the journey. He used what medical knowledge he had to save those he could, and he was forced to help toss those he could not into the ocean after they had died. If he hadn't felt so needed, he would have jumped overboard and swum the rest of the way.

Yet above all these dark memories was a bright one: the conversations he had had with the other passengers. There were so many reasons for one to sail to the New World: religious freedom, commercial opportunity, escape from the law, going to join family… but no matter the reason, and no matter how rough the waves, each traveler's face was alight with hope. America was a beacon, an open, glorified haven that promised prosperity, freedom and _land_. Unlimited land.

Neither Carlisle nor his fellow travelers ever thought to consider the possibility that there might be those who would begrudge the newcomer's appetite for elbow room. He had heard of the American Indians, but they had been painted in the stories as vicious, inhuman savages at the worst, and friendly hosts at the best. And he had been so busy in his first several decades, studying and working on the east coast, that it wasn't until he began travelling that he discovered the reality that had "cleared" the land for settlement.

Carlisle ran through these memories in less than a second, and continued his sentence. "I first came here because the New World was hope itself. My fellow travelers had their own dreams, and I had mine. I was hoping to find the enlightenment I had heard so much about, but in the vampire world. I thought that surely, upon my arrival in New England, I would find others of my kind who had committed to the same humane lifestyle as I had. But even more- I was drawn, like those around me, to the lure of the unknown, to the vast, unexplored mysteries of the Americas. I was drawn to the promise of freedom, and the myriad opportunities that that freedom presented. And, for the most part, my dreams have all been achieved, though not always in the way that I had planned." He bent down to kiss the top of Esme's hair, remembering the day that he had transformed her. "But there are times when I am ashamed of some of the acts committed by our nation in the name of freedom- even, sometimes, in the name of exploration. And I have to admit, this is one of those times."

"But the expansion was inevitable," I argued. "America wouldn't be what it is today if the settlers stopped and turned around every time they encountered an obstacle."

Carlisle's eyes darkened slightly. "No, it certainly wouldn't. And I hope you're not referring to American Indians as _obstacles_, Edward."

"No, of course not," I said quickly. "I only meant that the process was complicated, and some difficulties were to be expected. You yourself said that the New World was about sharing, coexisting."

"You're right," he sighed. _I'm sorry for my presumption. __I just get a little… passionate about this sometimes._ "I'm sure the situation was much more complicated than I'm making it out to be. Treaties, boundary lines, concessions- of course they were inevitable. But the way those things were achieved, is what I'm ashamed of."

"You had nothing to do with it," Esme said firmly.

"I know. I'm speaking in the sense of my identity as an American in general. And, as an American, I wish that there was something I could do to right the wrongs done to the original Americans."

"I don't see what," I said sadly, "unless you can somehow rewrite the Treaties of Quinault and Olympia."

"You're taking too much on yourself, Carlisle," Esme said softly. _As you always do._ "And besides, you _are_ doing something- there wasn't even a doctor in the area until we moved here last month."

Carlisle finally smiled. "Esme, how is it that you always manage to turn every debate into a compliment?"

She leaned into his shoulder, gazing up at him in admiration. "Because you deserve it," she said quietly, her eyes full of trust. "If every man were like you, there would be no injustice in the world."

My parents were instantly lost in each other's eyes, and they didn't even notice when I slipped out the door. I ran all the way to the top of Mount Olympus, gazing down at the land beneath me as I had done on our first night of hunting. As keen as my sight was in the dark, there were differences to be seen now, in the light of day: roads in the distance, the railroads scoring the scenery, and the scarred land where the logging companies did their work. I turned to the North, and saw a cloud of dirty smoke hovering over Port Angeles, where the timber was processed in a factory. I turned toward the West and squinted, peering through the mist to see the tiny town of La Push, and the houses that were crowded inside it.

The land was still beautiful- the most beautiful I had ever seen. But Carlisle was right. Some things were not as they were meant to be. Still, they were human matters. Treaties, boundaries, racial prejudice- these were not our business. No matter how involved we got with our human neighbors, we would always be outsiders.

We would always be alone.


	4. First Fight, First Whiff

**Okay, we don't *actually* meet the wolves in this chapter, though Edward does finally pick up their scent, and there's lots of cool foreshadowing that I think you'll enjoy. I promise they're in the next one! (I really promise this time!) There was just so much else to get to in this chapter and it's already quite long.**

It was two weeks later that Emmett made his mistake. It wasn't the sort of mistake that resulted in a human death, but it was pretty bad.

Rosalie had driven Emmett and I to school as usual- I was still too "young" to drive, and Rosalie still didn't trust her husband, who was technically still a newborn, around anything automotive. Never mind that it was actually _my_ car. When we got to school, the weather was gorgeous: a nice, fluffy, white cloud cover as far as the eye could see. Our school attendance had been unusually good in Hoquiam, due to the almost-constant rainfall, but it would be nice to actually have dry clothes for an entire school day. Our body temperature tended to be a bit of a drawback when it came to drying time.

"Looks like an easy day," I commented as I gathered my books and got out.

Emmett was mentally agreeing with me as he ducked out of the car, but Rosalie pulled him back in.

"Let's cut school today," she said thoughtfully.

"What for?" Emmett asked.

"It's nice outside. We really haven't gotten a chance to see the town yet, and this is the perfect day for it."

I leaned on the roof of the car, rolling my eyes impatiently. Rosalie wanted to see the town, all right. She wanted to see the town see _her_. She was smugly congratulating herself on choosing the pink day dress this morning- the flared skirt was perfect for a stroll, and her hair was behaving itself rather nicely, now that the barometer was holding steady for once.

"Whatever you want, baby," Emmett said, taking her hand in his. Rosalie had been difficult lately- this always happened sometime after our first month at a new school. We had been here long enough now that many of her admirers, while still fatally smitten, had given up and moved on to more accessible girls. She still wasn't nearly as difficult as she had been before Emmett- and having them out at the cabin was a lifesaver- but even Emmett had been hard pressed this week to keep her happy. In times like this, my sister and I were more at odds than usual; she wasn't embarrassed by her selfish thoughts, per se, but when her pride was injured like this, she got especially annoyed by my gift.

"Fine," I sighed. I tossed my books onto the back seat and got back in. I had half a mind to reach over and muss that perfect hairstyle, just for kicks.

Rosalie turned to shoot me a glare. _You weren't invited._

"Good," I snapped, grabbing my books and slipping back out. The car spun back out of the parking space, spraying my slacks with mud. I ground my teeth as I stalked into the school, trying in vain to smear off some of the mud with the bottom of my other shoe. Unbelievable. The _one_ day when I could have been clean and dry…

"Mr. Cullen, what on _earth_ have you done to your trousers?"

I smiled pleasantly at the school secretary as I passed by her desk. "Just got into a little scuffle with my brother this morning, Miss Cope."

"And where is your brother? And your sister?" _Such a handsome family- especially this one! __Why, if I was twenty years younger…_

"Oh, they're a bit under the weather today," I said, hiding a smirk as I walked away. Fending off the attentions of my female classmates was one thing, but Miss Cope was ridiculous- she was at least fifty! That was even older than _me_.

I had to admit, going through a school day without Rosalie's and Emmett's thoughts was rather nice. The girls were a bit more attentive than usual, now that I was unaccompanied by my older siblings, but nothing I couldn't handle. And I was looking forward to some peace and quiet when I got home.

It was rather ironic, actually. Now that our family was the largest it had ever been, I had more quiet at home than ever. Rosalie and Emmett were usually out in their cabin, and Esme was still quite busy with the house. She often dropped Carlisle off at work in the morning, using the car during the day for her numerous errands. And Carlisle himself was quite busy- as the only physician in town, he ended up working late almost every evening, while Esme waited patiently for him in the waiting room.

So it turned out that I had the house to myself after school, more often than not. This was when I did most of my composing. I had been working on a new piano sonata, and these hours when my mind was free of everyone's thoughts were the most stimulating to my muse. During school today, I had come up with a new idea for the second movement, and I was looking forward to trying it out when I got home.

But instead of finding serenity when I neared our property, I found chaos. The car was parked haphazardly in the middle of the driveway, with an ugly set of skid marks behind it. One of Esme's new maple trees was ripped out of the ground and there was a new crack in the door frame.

"Rose, come _on_! Open the door!" Emmett's booming voice and the sound of his fist pounding on solid oak made my gift almost unnecessary. It appeared that Rosalie and Emmett were finally having their first fight.

Or rather, _Rosalie_ was having her first fight. While she sat fuming, Emmett's mind was a whirl of panic and confusion. I ran the rest of the way and zipped upstairs.

_Thank God you're home_, Emmett thought at me frantically. _Will you please tell me what on earth I'm supposed to have done wrong?_

"_You're_ her husband," I growled back. I had come upstairs to help- although I didn't see how- but now I was angry, as well. Since Rosalie and Emmett had moved into their cabin at the same time that the rest of us had moved in here, they had never been given a room of their own. So in whatever fury she had worked herself up to, Rosalie had decided to lock herself in _my_ bedroom, and she was currently working out her anger by tearing my leather couch to shreds.

"What is it with you and couches?!" I demanded, slamming my open hand on the door. I could have broken it down easily, but something told me I didn't want to be in the same room as my sister right now. She would probably tear _me_ to shreds, if I gave her the chance.

_Get lost!_

"I'm telling you, Rose, I don't know what this is about!" Emmett yelled. "What did I _do_?!"

"If you're not intelligent enough to figure it out, then there's no point in me telling you, is there!" she yelled back. "And stop calling me _Rose!"_

Emmett just sank down to the floor with his back to the door, holding his head in his hands. He sat frozen for a moment, and then slammed his fist down through the floorboards, sending up a cloud of sawdust. _Come on, help me out. __What's she thinking?_

I focused on Rosalie's mind as hard as I could, but I had nothing. She was blocking me with everything she had. It was a relief, in a way- I knew that I got in the middle of this with my mind-reading, she wouldn't speak to me for a month. Not that that would be a _bad_ thing…

"Rosalie," I sighed, "Come on. Emmett really has no idea what he did to upset you. I swear, he doesn't. You've got to tell him, or at least let me see."

"Stay out of it, Jerkward!" she hissed, knocking over my bookshelf and smashing it in two.

"You want some marital advice, Emmett?" I snarled. "Break down that door and throttle her." There was another crash from inside my room.

He just snorted, and the faintest hint of a smile finally sneaked out. "Think I'll stick to Carlisle in the marital advice department, bro."

I sank down to sit beside him. "Probably a good idea," I sighed, leaning my head back against the door. "I don't suppose you'd let _me_ throttle her?" I added in a louder voice. "Because if she doesn't get her hand off my journals _right_ now-"

Emmett's fist crushed down on mine, locking my arm in a steel grip. "Nope."

"Would the two of you get lost?" Rosalie hissed, leaving my journals in peace. _I wish he could just go to the bar and drink it off. __That's how most husbands handle it._

"No, it isn't," I called back. At least she had given me a clue, finally- I recognized the tenor of the pain in her thoughts. In the split second before she blocked me out again, I saw all the old bitterness rushing around in her brain- the same bitterness that had plagued her before Emmett had come along. What had he _done_? Now she was practically quivering with effort to keep her thoughts under control.

_Edward, please_, she thought. _Please, I just need to be alone. __I need you to leave, so that I can think. __And I need him to leave, just for now. __Just give me some time. __I'm sorry about the couch. __Just… please._ Her fingers were digging into her hair and she was shaking with the tears that she was aching to release. "Get OUT!" she yelled again.

I stood, hauling Emmett up with me. "Come on," I ordered. "We're leaving." Emmett looked anxiously over his shoulder at the door as I dragged him out of the house. I shoved him into my car and peeled out of the driveway, doing my best to stay out of Rosalie's head. As much as I wanted to help my brother, this was no time to be invading her privacy.

"All right, Emmett," I sighed when we were out of sight of the house. "What did you do?"

"I don't know! We were just walking, and she just lost it all of a sudden, and next thing I know, she's driving away and I have to run home, and she-"

"All right, slow down. Show me what happened, back before she got angry."

He heaved a sigh and closed his eyes, bringing both of us back to their "stroll" through town earlier in the afternoon. They had enjoyed their day off, and Rosalie had been having the time of her life pretending to be a human girl cutting school with her boyfriend. They had spent most of the morning on Main Street, exploring the shops and chatting with strangers. They had even stopped in a diner for lunch, teasing each other about the food as they had a contest to see who could hide the most "bites" without the waitress noticing.

"Well, that was stupid," I interrupted.

"Shut up," he said as he continued the memory. After lunchtime, they had made their way over to the town park, which had a little duck pond. Rosalie had been drawn to the young mothers that had brought their babies to watch the ducks, and so she and Emmett had wandered closer to the pond. One harried-looking young woman was spending all her energy chasing a pair of twin toddlers, who were intent on tumbling into the pond. While she was busy getting them in line, her younger baby had crawled over to a patch of dandelions and was tasting the flowers.

"I swear," said the woman under her breath, "this one had better be late, because I can't TAKE another baby right now!" She was holding her swollen belly as she knelt down to fish the dandelion fuzz out of the other baby's mouth.

Rosalie had paused to watch the scene, and Emmett had nudged her in the shoulder, chuckling quietly. "At least that's one kind of accident we don't have to worry about," he whispered. After that, they had-

"Hold it," I said. "You said that out loud? To _Rosalie_? Are you _insane_?"

"What? She wasn't even angry then. We walked for another ten minutes, and that's when she lost it."

"Did you say anything _else_ idiotic in those ten minutes?" I demanded.

"I didn't say anything after that," he protested. "And neither did she. What's so bad about not wanting kids? I'm twenty years old, for crying out loud!"

"Emmett," I sighed. "You do realize that Rosalie wants to still be human, right?"

"Yeah, I know that. So what?"

"So, what is the one thing that most young human women want to do?"

_Umm…_ "Get married?"

"And then?"

"Oh." _Oops._

"Emmett, this was more than just an 'oops'. You just ridiculed the one dream that she can never achieve- the one that means more to her than anything. How did you _think_ she was going to take it?"

"I didn't _know_!" he snarled. _We've never talked about the kid thing. __I mean, why would we? __We can't have them, so why talk about it?_

"You've been married to my sister for almost ten months, Em! How could you not know how important this is to her? She misses so many things about being human, and that's the worst one, now that she got the husband thing. How could you _possibly_ not have ever talked about it?"

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, it's not like we really spend a lot of time _talking_…"

"Never mind, I get it," I said quickly. "The rest of the afternoon, please."

Emmett showed me the rest. After walking in what he had thought was an easy silence for ten minutes, they had returned to the car. As Emmett opened the driver's side door for Rosalie, he had leaned down and kissed her below her ear, whispering that he wanted to get back to the cabin. Before he could finish the sentence, Rosalie had slammed the door and was driving away, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the street, staring after the car with his mouth open.

"And that's it," he said aloud. "I ran home, and you got there right after that. That's all. Hey, where are we going? Aberdeen?"

"Farther." When we had left the house, I had gotten on the 101 and headed south- I had already had this trip planned, and this seemed as good a time as any. The highway hugged the Hoquiam River as it snaked around the town, and I kept on it, leaving the Hoquiam behind and coming alongside the Chehalis, heading east.

"Seattle?" he asked nervously.

"Farther. Rosalie needs some space, and you need to hunt."

"No, I don't. I need to get back to Rose."

"Later. She needs some time. And for heaven's sake, don't call her 'Rose' when she's angry. Didn't you know that that's what Royce used to call her?"

_No. __I didn't know that._ Emmett's fists tightened even further as he thought of the man who had destroyed Rosalie's human life, and a strange creaking sound filled the car as the skin over his knuckles began to split. He spat out an oath and licked the injuries, watching in silent fascination as they healed.

I just shook my head. I wasn't exactly an expert on marriage, but it seemed to me that if you bound your immortal life to someone, you might actually want to get to _know_ them at some point. Of course, if that someone was Rosalie, I could see where that might get dicey.

This was definitely the right day for Emmett's surprise. I had been planning to take him this weekend, but he needed it more today. And he did need to hunt- his eyes had been dark enough before I had mentioned Royce King. Now they were even darker. Strong emotions had a way of bringing on at attack of thirst in any vampire- and Emmett wasn't even through his first year, yet. The fact that we were having this civil of a conversation at all was proof of Emmett's "early graduation".

He was mentally racing through everything he knew about Royce, and through everything Rosalie had ever told him about wanting to be human. It seemed that she truly had never said anything about babies, or about wanting to be a mother.

I didn't understand this. I supposed that I was so used to seeing babies in her thoughts that I thought everyone knew about it. Esme certainly knew, and I knew that she had told Carlisle… I felt just a little stab of guilt. Maybe _I_ should have been the one to warn Emmett about this. But on the other hand, Rosalie was the one who got so bent out of shape every time I revealed any of her precious thoughts. And as hurt as she was, I was still angry with her. She _had_ trashed my room. But I was mostly angry with her for the way she was treating my brother. It was bad enough to drive off and leave him- then she had to draw it out at home, refusing to tell him what was wrong and insulting his intelligence to boot. Didn't she know how inferior he _already_ felt, compared to her?

Hmmm. Maybe she didn't know. Emmett and I had managed to keep our little secret about his illiteracy. He still wasn't really the academic type, but he was already acing his classes along with Rosalie and I. Could it be that she had no inkling of the level of awe he felt when he looked at her? How every time she told him what to wear, or what to say, it made him feel like an ignorant country bumpkin?

Maybe I needed to stop keeping everyone's secrets so well. Maybe I should sit the two of them down and…

Maybe not. What did I know about marriage? This seemed like one of those situations that was better left to Carlisle and Esme. I would speak to them when I got back. But for now, I had a brother to cheer up.

.

.

.

"Where are we?" Emmett asked as he slammed the car door.

"We're still in Washington. This range is called the North Cascades. That's Canada over there."

He shrugged. "Okay, so let's hunt. I want to get back to Rose- to Rosalie, I mean."

I shook my head. "She normally doesn't mind. I even asked her about it, back when you were new, because she had never let any of us call her that before. She said she _liked_ it coming from you."

He finally looked hopeful. "She did?"

"Yes. She'll come around, Emmett. She just needed some space, and you really do need to hunt."

"I know. I'm so parched I could drink a mountain goat."

I laughed. "Let's see if we can't find you something better. Come on." I led him up away from the highway, up into the subalpine forests. I hoped we weren't too late- I figured the bears higher up were already hibernating, but we might have a shot at this altitude.

Emmett sniffed the air. "Black bear," he said with a grin. _Rosalie's favorite._ "I'll meet up with you later."

"No, wait," I said, grabbing his arm. "I have a surprise for you. Just hold off a bit more."

He shrugged and followed me as I climbed up higher and higher. The trees were beginning to thin, and I was just about to turn around, when my nose twitched. I turned into the wind, breathing deeply and feeling a warm sense of nostalgia as I smelled it, for the first time in five years: grizzly.

"This way," I ordered, taking off at a run. Emmett followed curiously, and stopped abruptly after a moment.

"What's that?" he wondered aloud, taking in the new scent.

"Dinner," I said, grinning and showing my teeth. I started running again, and before long we came across an old avalanche chute. Down at the bottom of the rubble was a nice little den, and an enormous male grizzly bear was nosing around in a line of bushes that had formed along the chute.

"Whoa," Emmett whispered. "Is that what I think it is?" _Grizzly?_

"Surprise," I whispered back.

A huge grin spread across his face and he inched forward, crouching down into a hunting pose. _He's huge! __I wonder what those claws feel like. _ I could see Emmett's intention to rush the bear head on, but I held him back. The bear was half asleep already, and looked uncomfortably full as he gorged himself for hibernation. If anything, Emmett was going to give the poor thing a heart attack.

"Wait," I whispered. "Go over to the entrance of the den and start kicking around. And don't yell, not yet."

Emmett darted over to the den, the breeze of his passing making the bear turn around to face us. He raised his huge snout to the air, snuffling as he took in our curious scent. And then he saw it: a strange, sparkling white animal trying to destroy his den.

He lumbered over toward Emmett, shaking his head with a threatening growl. Emmett growled back and moved forward just an inch, keeping low to the ground. The bear waited for a moment, and then opened his mouth and unleashed a furious roar. Emmett's hair laid back as he squinted against the wind of the bear's breath, and he leapt forward with a snarl, barreling into the grizzly just hard enough to knock him over. The bear roared again, righting itself and swinging a heavy forepaw right into Emmett's face. The claws scraped across his cheek and he jumped back in gleeful surprise; he had never gotten this much fight out of any prey before. They wrestled on the ground for another minute, until the bear decided that it was time to put Emmett in his place. It stood up on its back legs, towering by more than a foot over my brother, who had stood as well. Emmett put up his fists and began dancing around the bear like a boxer. It was so funny that I had to cover my mouth so that my laughter didn't distract Emmett's prey.

They were really going at it now. The bear was clumsy from its extra weight, and Emmett easily knocked him on his back. He pretended to walk toward the den again, earning the most furious attack yet. This time he let the bear knock _him_ off his feet, and I finally went off to hunt on my own, leaving them to their wrestling match.

When I came back half an hour later, the bear was gone and Emmett was hanging awkwardly off of the fallen rocks, pretending to be dead. I snuck up and gave him a kick.

"Ow!"

"Just checking." Emmett was a sight- his shirt had been cut to ribbons and he had dirt and blood covering at least a third of his body. He certainly _looked_ dead, except for the fact that he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey, that was amazing! What a fight! And the _taste_! New favorite," he sighed, flopping backwards onto the rocks again as he remembered his meal.

I felt a stirring of thirst as I shared his memory. It was a shame- there probably wasn't another grizzly anywhere nearby, and I would have to wait until next time. But at least my brother was happy. I nudged him with my foot again.

"You think _that_ was fun? Wait until they come out of hibernation in the spring. They're lean, mean and fighting mad."

"Sounds great," he sighed.

.

.

.

On our way back, I stopped in Seattle and called home from a telephone booth. I wanted to see what state Rosalie was in, and whether we should come home or stay out longer.

"Hello?"

"Carlisle, it's me."

"Edward! Where are you? It's after seven o'clock!"

"I took Emmett out hunting after their fight. How is she?"

"She's a mess. Why on earth did you two just leave her there alone?"

I frowned. "She said she _wanted_ us to leave."

"And it didn't occur to you to come find me, or to track down Esme?"

"I… no. Sorry."

"Never mind. Is Emmett all right?"

I shrugged. "I guess." I hated talking on the telephone. Did he mean "all right" as in "he's well-fed" or as in "he hasn't killed anyone"? "So… should we stay out longer, or is she ready for him?"

There was silence for a moment. "I think it might be best if you both stay out tonight," he said slowly. "The truth is, I haven't even gotten to talk to her yet. She and Esme have been locked in your bedroom since we came home. And you know how she likes her mental space when she's upset."

"I know," I sighed. "Just one question: how bad is my room?"

Silence again.

"That's just great," I snarled.

"Son, _you_ didn't say anything to upset her, did you?"

I leaned my arm on the top of the payphone, rubbing my forehead. "I may have possibly suggested out loud that Emmett break down the door and throttle her, yes."

"Edward!"

"But she was already trashing my room _before_ that," I pointed out.

"Look," he said tiredly, "I still don't know what this is about, but did you really think that jokingly advising her husband to abuse her would help? Especially when you consider the way her human life ended?"

I buried my fist in my hair, wincing at my own stupidity. When was I going to learn to think before I spoke? "No, I suppose not."

"I'll see what I can do," he sighed. "Just give us the night, and come back in the morning."

"All right."

I set the receiver down on the hook, glancing around to make sure no humans were present before I slammed my fist into the steel frame of the phone booth, sending the glass walls outward in a satisfying explosion of glass. I didn't usually indulge myself in these childish displays, but sometimes it felt rather good. After checking to make sure I hadn't left a handprint in the metal, I headed back to the car.

"Are we going home now?" Emmett asked doubtfully, eyeing the phone booth and the shards of glass now surrounding it.

"No."

"Are we _ever_ going home?" _And what's your problem? __You're not the one who's in the doghouse._

"We're going back tomorrow morning. And I'm fine. I'm just an idiot, as usual."

"Okay. So, where should we hunt now?"

"Aren't you full _yet_?"

"Check the mirror, man." I glanced at myself in his mind, frowning at the circles under my eyes. I had snagged only a single deer tonight, not having really been thirsty. Of course, my throat was hurting _now_. And it wasn't helping that Emmett was reliving the taste of the grizzly right in front of me again. "So, the grizzly was great. Good surprise. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Anyway, I want to return the favor. I have decided that we are going whale hunting. You know, like the Quileutes."

"What's it taste like?"

"I don't know yet. I never got down there that weekend. Rose and I-"

"Fine," I interrupted, "Whale it is." I revved the engine and took off, heading for La Push.

.

.

.

We decided to avoid the town. I did have plans to go there soon, though. I had learned as much as I could of the Quileute language from Lawrence, and I was eager to eavesdrop on some real conversations, so that I could learn some more of the prefixes and increase my fluency. The trouble was, I couldn't think of a good reason to be in the town. I supposed I would just end up sneaking over there one night and hiding while I listened. The reservation, and the town itself, were so small that if I got a good seat, I would be able to hear every thought and conversation from one place.

But not tonight. Emmett was getting more and more worried about what was waiting for him at home, and so I had agreed to his ridiculous whale idea just to keep him happy. Since we had plenty of time, I decided to take the long way around to the Pacific coast- luckily, I had been keeping the maps in my car. We crossed the bridge at the North end of the Sound and took the 101 up and around the northern edge of the Peninsula. We finally saw Port Angeles up close for the first time- a surprisingly busy town that had risen up around the lumber mill, and the end, or rather the beginning, of the railroad. After the highway turned south, we passed through a much smaller village called Forks. It seemed that it was one of many logging communities that had sprung up recently- it didn't even appear on my map. But judging by the amount of construction going on, it seemed like Forks was on its way to becoming a full-fledged town in the near future. It was a shame that Carlisle couldn't have found a job up here, since it was much closer to the forest than Hoquiam. If we had come just a few years later, there might have been a hospital for him to work in.

After we had passed through Forks- which took all of one minute- we decided to turn back around, since the highway was turning away from the coast again. We went back through the village and found a dirt road heading westward, and a makeshift sign a mile later that said "La Push 12 miles".

"There we go," Emmett said smugly. "I told you we weren't lost."

"Well, we're not parking in the town," I said. "Our car is going to draw attention in such a small community, and I doubt there's many places to hide it, the closer we get to the beach."

"So park it here. Look, there's a good spot."

We hid the car in the forest, and a good thing, too- the trees got thinner and thinner as we ran southeast. I had heard Lawrence thinking about a place called First Beach, and how it was where he had always launched from as a young hunter. I knew that it was in the southern half of the Reservation, so I planned on hitting the beach just a bit further south.

We had gotten a couple of miles closer when I noticed the smell. At first I thought it was just the decay from some faraway roadkill, but then Emmett noticed it too.

"Ugh!" he said, wrinkling his nose. "What died? A dog?" _Wonder what that tastes like._

I shrugged. "I guess so. Whatever it is, its blood won't be any good anymore. Come on."

"Have you ever tried dog?"

"Come _on_, Emmett."

The smell got worse as we went on. I would have turned back if Emmett hadn't been so dead set on trying whale tonight. As it was, we picked up the pace, eager to let the salt air drown out whatever the nasty scent was. Emmett and I had a good laugh as we ran, trying to guess what the mystery smell was. My new theory was that someone had burned some diseased livestock. My brother was a bit more creative: he decided that someone had cooked a dog for dinner, and let it cook too long. Only Emmett.

We finally hit the ocean, and the salty wind was a relief to our noses. We plunged into the water immediately, swimming two miles out to see what we could find. We spent most of the night out in the Pacific, enjoying the swimming and exploring. Neither of us had ever swum in salt water before, and that in and of itself was quite an experience. I had asked Carlisle to "show" me what it was like once, but the real thing was quite exciting. The taste was quite offensive, but interesting- beyond the salt, there was the taste of a thousand different creatures, and the taste was different at different depths. I was fascinated by the currents, and by the changes in temperature from one spot to the next. We explored the ocean floor for a while, and found several species of fish, crabs, clams and starfish- but no whales. We finally gave up around four in the morning, deciding that we should run back to the car while it was still dark. Sunlight did happen occasionally, after all, and Emmett looked like a vagrant with his mangled shirt. At least he had finally washed the bear blood off.

We came back onto the beach a few miles south of where we had entered. The smell was hardly noticeable here, and we decided to run further east before heading back the car.

"I can't believe we didn't find any whales," Emmett sulked as he wrung out his shirt before getting in. The run had dried our skin and hair, but I wasn't looking forward to having the smell of ocean water in my car. It was more pleasant than the taste, but I knew Rosalie would just use it as another excuse to get angry with me.

"Emmett, if you _had_ found a whale, how exactly were you planning on killing it?"

"Um…" _I didn't think of that. __Punch it, I guess. __Aren't you thirsty?_

"Yes," I sighed. "I'll grab something on the way home."

We got in the car, and I sighed as the smell of the ocean filled the enclosed space. At least the mystery smell had been thoroughly washed out of our clothes, with all the swimming. "Rosalie's not going to like the smell," I muttered, rolling down the window.

Emmett rolled his down, as well, but he paused before it was all the way down. "Hey, now there's an idea."

"What?"

"I'll get her a car. You know, to soften her up."

"Aren't flowers the usual gift after a fight?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. I might not know everything about her and Royce, but I do know that he got her flowers all the time."

"Good point. But a _car_?"

"Sure! You know she's always wanted one of her own. Maybe I could get her one that needs some work." _Preferably some body work. __It'll give her something to hit._

"You know, Emmett, you're right. It _is_ a good idea. We were thinking about getting one for your wedding gift, but we never got around to it."

He was getting excited now. "Let's go back up to Port Angeles, right now. I remember seeing a junkyard."

We drove back up and began picking through the junkyard. There were guard dogs, but they were more than happy to cower and hide as soon as we approached. Among the rusted-out shells of nearly five hundred automobiles, I saw a shiny black fin sticking out from under the remains of a red Chevy. I picked up the red junker and tossed it over my shoulder, gasping when I recognized a 1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I.

"Emmett," I breathed. "Get over here."

"What? Whoa, what is _that_?"

"That, my friend, is your ticket to a forgiving wife. Come on, help me get it out."

We carefully uncovered the rest of the car. There was quite a bit of damage- it seemed that the reason it had been discarded was a collision to the front end, which had crumpled the body in by a good three feet. The engine, carburetor, and half of the other parts had already been removed. Rust had just begun eating at various parts of the wheel wells and undercarriage, and there weren't any wheels at all. But the frame itself seemed sound, and it didn't seem that the engine had exploded in the collision. And the rust really wasn't all that bad. It was _perfect_.

"I don't know," Emmett sighed.

"Are you kidding me?! This is the Holy Grail, Emmett! If I could be drooling right now, I would! What's the matter with it?"

He crossed his huge arms impatiently. "Rolls-ROYCE. Get it?"

"Ah. I get it."

"Come on, let's look for something else."

"There is nothing else. And there's no way I'm leaving this here. If you don't want it, _I_ want it."

After mulling it over, he decided to go ahead with the gift. We found four good tires from other cars and got them on, and then we hung around the junkyard until the owner showed up. We offered him all the cash that we had on us: nearly five hundred dollars. He let us borrow a truck to tow our purchase home, and we promised to return it the next day.

"Emmett, you'll have to drive my car," I said, tossing him the keys as I got into the truck.

Emmett stared at the keys in his hand, unsure whether he was ready to handle driving.

"That's Rosalie talking," I said in annoyance. "If you're old enough to go to school, then you're certainly old enough to drive a car. You drove as a human, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but shouldn't I take the truck?" _Just in case I break something._

"No. You'll be fine. And if you did break something, how would you explain it to the owner? If you're going to break something, it should be my car. I was going to get a new one soon, anyway."

_If you say so…_

"Just remember to go easy on the pedals. I'll drive in front of you. And don't accelerate too fast. And don't-"

"Hey! I thought you said I would be fine!"

I nodded, biting my lip as I bid farewell to my precious Lincoln. I hadn't _really_ been about to get a new one…

But Emmett did quite well. I drove ahead of him, and was careful not to make any sudden stops that might make him slam the brake clean through the floor. We got home by ten o'clock.

"Rosalie isn't home," I said worriedly as we got out.

Emmett stopped breathing. "What if she…"

"No, it's all right," I said quickly as Esme came out the front door, smiling and thinking about how Rosalie had just gone to school.

"Carlisle dropped her off on the way to work," she said, staring at the Rolls-Royce. "What is _that_?"

"Peace offering," Emmett said nervously. "Do you think she'll like it?"

"Of course she will! What is it?"

"A 1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I," I said reverently, touching the crumpled hood. "Remember I wanted to get one of these back when they were new?" I had _really_ wanted one. But I had been "fifteen" at the time, and Carlisle said that when I got my first car, it shouldn't be so showy.

"Yes, I remember," she said with a smile. "It was the closest I've ever seen you to being in love." I laughed as she pictured my face back when I was trying to convince Carlisle to let me get one. My eyes were wide as I showed Carlisle an automotive magazine, and Esme remembered holding in her laughter as she watched my enthusiasm. "But do you think it's wise to give her a car with the word 'Royce' in the name?"

"I _told_ you!" Emmett moaned.

I shook my head. "I think it'll be fine. I've caught her thinking about this very model more than once. And if she doesn't like it, I'll just say that I got it for myself, and that we'll take her into Seattle to pick something out for herself."

"So… how was she when she left?" Emmett asked, holding his breath.

Esme's smile faded. "Better. We talked a lot, and she's still quite upset, but she realizes that you didn't mean to hurt her." Emmett let out his air in a whoosh, relaxing his shoulders.

"And me?" I asked.

Esme just glared at me- it seemed that Carlisle had told her about my little "marital advice" blunder.

"Ah. I suppose I'd better go take a look at my room, then."

"Yes, I think you'd better," she said sharply. _I can't BELIEVE you said that in front of her. __I can't believe you said it at all._

"It was a joke," I said lamely.

She clenched her teeth, and Emmett started inching away from us. _A joke?_

Now I felt even worse. Of course Esme, of all people, would be hurt by such an idiotic statement. I murmured an apology – the first of many, no doubt, as I headed into the house.

I went upstairs, afraid of what I was find. The hole was still in the floor of the hallway, but at least my door was still on its hinges. I peeked inside, looking first to the side of the room where my couch had been. Someone had already cleaned up the pieces, and my bookshelf had also been repaired. I leaned in, sniffing the wood and finding Carlisle's scent, fresher than mine and Rosalie's. He had fixed it, then. Of course, if he had really wanted to help me out, he could have kept my stupid remark from Esme. Did he always have to tell her _everything_?

I sighed as I turned around and surveyed the rest of the damage. My desk was destroyed, as well- quite recently, from the scent of sawdust in the air. There was a dent in the wall above where my couch had been, and by the odd arrangement of broken-spined books around the room, they were probably what had made the dent, one at a time. At least she had good aim- there was only _one_ dent. And at least she had left my box of journals in peace.

It was the only thing she had left in peace, though. My clothes were in a pile on the floor, and every single item had been torn in half. But the real kicker was that she had destroyed my sheet music. She had never dared to touch my music before. She had threatened it on various occasions, but I hadn't thought she would ever actually _do_ it. I was seething with anger by the time I found the scattered, torn pages of my unfinished sonata and threw them in the trash can.

I tried to understand. I tried to imagine what it would feel like to be Rosalie, and to feel the disappointment and betrayal that would have made her react like this. After all, I had smashed something yesterday, too, but that had been because I was angry at myself. Rosalie was angry at everyone _except_ herself. She was angry at Emmett for being ignorant and insensitive. She was angry at me for constantly invading her privacy and saying stupid things. She was angry at Carlisle again, no doubt, for having changed her. She was probably even angry at Esme for understanding.

I looked around my room again, admitting to myself that it could have been worse, and that I had probably deserved worse. When she got home, I would apologize and I wouldn't even mention her destructive tantrum. I would be a gentleman.

But by the time Carlisle brought her home that afternoon, I was hard-pressed to keep my temper under control. For one thing, I was still thirsty, but I couldn't go hunting until I had some new clothes to change into. I had gone out shopping for said clothes, and I had been seen by one of the local policemen, who sent me straight home with a truancy notice for my parents to sign. I spent the rest of the morning cleaning up the mess in my room, getting angrier with every shredded piece of sheet music that I found.

When Carlisle's car finally pulled up, it was clear from both their thoughts that Rosalie hadn't said a word to him all night, or even when he had taken her to and from school today. this made me even angrier. The one male in the house who _hadn't_ offended her yesterday was the one whom her wrath was focused on now. Carlisle looked miserable as he parked the car, and he flinched visibly as Rosalie slammed the car door shut. She went straight to Emmett, who was standing in the front yard waiting for her. They stood silently together for at least five minutes, holding each other in silent apology. He took her around back to show her the car before I had a chance to speak to her. It was a good thing, too, because if she had said one thing wrong to me, my apology probably would have turned into something Esme _really_ wouldn't want to hear. Anyway, Esme had gone around back to watch Rosalie's reaction to Emmett's peace offering. Judging from the awe in my sister's thoughts, the gift had been well received.

Carlisle was still in the car. I opened the passenger door and slipped inside, sitting with him in silence as he tortured himself with the look Rosalie had given him when she had finally emerged from my bedroom this morning. She hadn't let him see that much hatred since her newborn months, and it had shaken him.

"She's wrong," I said firmly.

"No, she's not," he sighed.

"She'll get over it."

"I don't know. I haven't seen her like this since she was new. Certainly not since Emmett." _I don't know how the next few weeks are going to go. __We're all going to have to be very considerate and patient. _

I just nodded, biting back the sarcastic comment that came to mind. I got the message.

Carlisle sighed again, leaning his head back against the top of the seat and closing his eyes.

"You're a good father," I said quietly. "The best."

He just laughed bitterly, without a smile. "On days like this, Edward, I would have to disagree with you."

"You probably don't want to see this, then," I sighed, drawing the truancy notice out of my pocket. It was a gamble- it would either make him more upset, or it would cheer him up.

My plan worked. He unfolded the paper, and his lips finally twitched in amusement, giving way to one of my favorite sounds in the world: my father's musical laughter. I joined him in laughing, and we finally got out, heading out back to join the others and face the music.

**.**

**.**

**I hope the length and all the werewolf-foreshadowing tidbits made up for the lack of wolves :) I promise, the next one will have the encounter! **

**And I know I don't say this often enough, but I am so, so grateful for all the wonderful reviews! I always love hearing from readers and I do try to respond most of the time, especially to those reviews that have some substance to them. So please take a moment to review, if you have the time. :) What did you think of the fight, Emmett's first grizzly, and the scent? *foreboding music* **


	5. First Contact

**It's werewolf time! I'm so excited! This chapter will cover (after some family conflict resolution) the initial run-in and the little pre-fight scrap that ensues, and the next two chapters will cover the treaty. **

**A HUGE thank you to EmeraldStar73 here for her help with this chapter. She's been literally bouncing ideas with me for MONTHS getting ready for these next three chapters. There were a lot of little canon and writing issues that I really wanted to get right for this section, and she's been an immense help. If you've never read her story, High Noon, you should definitely check it out! It's easily the best Breaking Dawn sequel ever, and she's still working on an epilogue and outtake for it.**

**Thank you also to Helena Mira, Zevka, madcraftermom, and everyone else whose brain I have picked at some point regarding the werewolf elements of this story. You guys are awesome!**

By the time I got around to the back yard, Rosalie and Emmett had already left for their cabin. As soon as they were gone, I apologized again to Esme for my careless remark.

"I'm sorry too, Edward," she sighed. "I know you didn't mean it. And you had a right to be angry about your room."

"I'm sorry as well, son," Carlisle added. "I shouldn't have snapped at you on the phone."

"You're not mad about the truancy notice, then?" I asked with a grin.

He laughed, relieved that I had dissolved the tension. "You're not the one they should be worried about. If Rosalie and Emmett are going to stay in their cabin for as long as I think they will, I'm going to need to invent a new disease to explain their absence."

I headed downstairs into the garage, finding some paint that matched the wall of my bedroom. When I came back upstairs, Carlisle and Esme were standing together awkwardly, each lost in their own thoughts. Carlisle's were the most uncertain.

_I'm not sure how we should deal with Rosalie. I can't let her get away with all of this. And it seems like she's ready to hate me again, but I still have to be her father. And I understand she's hurting again. Still, she's also the one hurting everybody else. I don't think Esme will want me to do anything, though- it seemed like they had a lot to talk about together last night, and I know Esme is thinking about Charles again. I don't know if I should deal with this on my own, or if that would hurt her more._

Esme's thoughts weren't much different. As usual, both of my parents were thinking mostly about each other.

_I have no idea how we're going to deal with this. It seems like in a matter of minutes, everyone managed to hurt everyone else. And I would understand her, if it was just the tantrum. I can remember breaking a few things in the beginning, every time I thought about Charles. But she didn't have to do it in Edward's room, and the way she's treating Carlisle is inexcusable. He has to be hurting so much right now, and that always makes him too lenient… maybe I shouldn't insist on anything. I don't want to make this any worse for him._

"Carlisle, Esme, it's one of those times," I called out loud. I didn't need to say any more than that- they knew what I meant. It was rare that I betrayed either of their thoughts to the other, but I knew they didn't mind in these kind of instances- when they were both thinking the same thing anyway, but both were afraid to bring it up with the other. Sure enough, they both thanked me in their minds, and a moment later I heard the front door close gently as they went out into the woods together to discuss their parenting dilemma in private.

But when Rosalie and Emmett did come back three days later, a change seemed to have already come over my sister. She had her arms full of blank sheet music and Emmett was balancing a huge stack of books- exact copies of many the ones Rosalie had destroyed. Some were the wrong edition, but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Thanks," I said cautiously.

Rosalie met my eyes for a full second before looking away. "I'm sorry." She brushed past me into my room.

My eyebrows practically jumped off my face. In our three years of bickering, Rosalie had never once thought the word "sorry", much less said it out _loud_.

Emmett caught my eye as well, as he walked past me. _It's taken her three days to work up to that, just so you know. Be nice._ A quick summary of the past three days flashed through his mind- it seemed that most of it had been spent in Seattle, searching for the books. But it also looked like he and Rosalie had spent a lot of time talking, as well.

I followed them into my room, watching as they put the books onto the bookshelf. "This is… this is great, Rosalie, thank you. And I'm sorry, too."

Rosalie just bit her lip, refusing to look at me as she finished her work at lightning speed. She was leaving her mind surprisingly open, showing me excerpts of the conversations that she and Emmett had been having. It seemed that once he was confident in her forgiveness, he had very carefully drawn her out regarding her feelings about children, and he had also managed to get her to admit how inappropriate her behavior had been the other day toward all of us.

Wow.

She brushed past me again on her way out as she apologized mentally once more. Emmett sighed in disappointment, thinking that she was being rude to me again.

"Are you kidding?" I whispered after she had gone downstairs. "This is amazing. How did you pull this off?"

He just winked at me. "Turns out not all your marital advice is lousy- I talked to her." _ We talked a LOT._ _ She's going to talk to Carlisle when he gets home, too._

"Thank goodness," I sighed.

And she did. She met his car on his way home from work that night, and the two of them went off alone. When they came back a bit later, Carlisle's mind was radiant, and Rosalie's was relieved. They beckoned to Esme, and went back into the woods to talk again. Emmett and I had been stood on the porch waiting curiously, and Carlisle cleared his throat as we all drew back together a few minutes later.

"I think this has been a difficult time for all of us," he began. "And there is more than enough blame- and innocence- to go around. So I think that once Rosalie buys Edward a new couch, and Emmett repairs the floor, we're going to put this all behind us. Agreed?"

We all nodded silently, and I smiled when I heard his next thought. "Family hunts" were Carlisle's favorite way of ending conflicts like this. He felt that it was a good way to clear the air, and he also knew that Rosalie and I would be more civil to each other with everyone present.

"I think I'd like us all to hunt together tonight," Carlisle went on. "Maybe we could make a weekend of it, out in the Northern Cascades."

Emmett snorted as he held back his laugh, and Carlisle turned to him curiously. "That's where Edward took me the other day," he explained. "I had my first grizzly, and it was _awesome_."

Our parents smiled proudly, but I detected a brief flare of angry thoughts coming from Rosalie. _I wanted to be there for the first one. _

I frowned at her. "You would have been there, if you hadn't-"

"We agreed we would take him out together, remember?"

I just bit my lip. I had conveniently forgotten that part of the plan. Earlier this week, I had been planning on telling Rosalie about wanting to do the grizzly thing this weekend- it was going to be tonight, actually, because of the full moon. All our prey tended to be a bit more spirited in this part of the month.

"I'm sorry," I sighed. Maybe I should just write "I'm sorry" on a shirt and start wearing it every day.

But she was already calming down. _No, you're right. It was my fault you had to take him out of the house in the first place. And I guess he did need something special after… all that._

Carlisle frowned, looking between the two of us. _Well, that truce didn't last long._ "What's the problem?"

"We're fine," Rosalie said. "So, the Cascades?"

"I vote whales," Emmett said loudly, and he and I started laughing while our parents looked on in confusion again.

"We couldn't find any, remember?" I teased. "Besides, I'm not in a hurry to run into that stench again."

"What stench?" Esme asked.

"The other day, after we were done hunting grizzly, we went down toward La Push," I explained. "We hit the beach just south of the reservation, and spent the night in the ocean. But back on the land, there was the most awful smell- like someone had burned a whole pile of diseased animals. Although Emmett thinks someone cooked a dog for dinner and left it in the oven too long."

The women wrinkled their noses at Emmett, who just shrugged.

"What did it smell like, exactly?" Carlisle asked curiously.

"I don't know. I guess it did remind me of dead dog, or maybe skunk. But more bitter," I said, looking to Emmett for confirmation.

"Yeah, but like a _nasty_ bitter," Emmett amended, making a face. "And it got worse the farther west we went."

"It's probably just some kind of disease in the local vegetation," Carlisle said. "But it might be interesting to check out. If it's a smell that humans can't pick up, we should investigate and give an anonymous tip to someone in a position to take care of it."

"Why don't we go there tonight?" Esme suggested. "We can get in some hunting on the way home, if we don't find any of Emmett's whales."

Everyone laughed, and we all went in to change to some sturdier clothes. While I got ready, I was entertained by everyone's imagination of how exactly one would hunt and "drink" a whale- underwater, no less. When Rosalie finally came back outside, I nodded to her. "Rosalie, I really am sorry about the grizzly thing. And… thanks for sharing, earlier… you know."

She just sniffed as she walked past me, linking arms with Emmett. "Don't get used to it."

.

.

.

We didn't bother with the car. We cut over in a straight line to where Emmett and I had first caught the mystery scent, but the air was clear.

"Maybe it's gone," I mused. "I guess it could have just been a livestock problem that night, like I thought."

Carlisle was actually disappointed. He had really been looking forward to checking out his plant disease theory. "Oh well. Who's up for some whale?" he asked with a grin.

_Not me,_ Rosalie thought. But she saw Emmett's grin of anticipation, and swallowed her disgust as she nodded. She was being downright _pleasant _tonight.

We continued on toward the beach, but it wasn't long before we found the stench again. We walked into it another mile, with Carlisle stopping occasionally to look at and smell some plants. He thought that he detected the scent on a few, but he wasn't sure, now that the air was saturated. _We should have done this in the daytime_.

"What for?" I asked. "We're vampires."

He stopped again, bringing a fern frond up to his nose. "Yes, but even our eyesight is better with light. I'm looking for fungal cells." _At least it's a full moon._ "I should have brought some petri dishes, too. Esme!" he called. "Come look at this!"

She came over to us, holding her nose. "Yes?"

He frowned when he saw her discomfort, and forgot the plant in his hand. "Dear, why don't you head back the way we came? Back before the place where the scent begins, and see if you see any plants that are different between the two areas. Especially note if this species is present in both areas or not," he added, holding up the fern. _I hate seeing her uncomfortable. _"We'll meet you back there in a little while."

"All right," she said, heading off. _Thank goodness. Ugh._

"I'll help," Rosalie said eagerly. Emmett tagged along as well; his nose was still a bit more sensitive than everyone else's.

Carlisle and I continued westward, following the direction where the scent seemed to be the most dense. As we covered another couple of miles, I began to have the strangest feeling- like I was on edge, or anxious somehow. I glanced over at Carlisle, who was beginning to get frustrated. His fern disease theory had just been confounded by the scent being especially potent on a bush of a completely different species as the fern. But even as his mind ran through new ideas, he was acting oddly as well. His hands were tightly fisted, and he was glancing around, like he was nervous.

"Carlisle, do you feel… different?" I asked.

"Yes, now that you mention it," he said, frowning. "I feel rather.. agitated?"

"I do as well. Maybe it's the smell."

"It is pretty awful. Maybe we should head back now."

"You know Esme won't let us in the house, after being in the thick of it," I said with a grin. He just laughed, taking one last nervous glance around as he turned back the way we came.

As I followed him, I decided to stretch out with my gift, just to be sure there wasn't anything I needed to know about. The anxiety felt instinctual, like my body was trying to tell me something. Just a quick sweep of the area, and I would feel better.

_….their scent… east…_

"Carlisle," I said sharply. "Someone's out there."

He turned back toward me. "We're not that far from the reservation, although I'd be surprised if you could hear anyone there yet. Maybe someone's out camping."

"They were thinking about the scent of something," I said, feeling even more uneasy.

"Of course they were," Carlisle said. "It reeks out here- I wouldn't be surprised if even a human could smell this."

"No, I specifically heard the words '_their_ scent.'" I closed my eyes and stretched out as far as I could, listening. I heard the mental voice again, but only audibly, and only in patchy bits. They had to be nearly three miles out, whoever they were.

_...Ugh! … east... there's two of them! _

"I'm not sure this is a human I'm hearing," I said quickly. "First he thought 'their scent', and now he said something about there being 'two of them.'"

"A vampire," Carlisle said, raising his eyebrows. "And you think he's picked up our scent?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure it's a vampire yet. And I'm not sure he's alone. Hold on." I closed my eyes again, clenching my brain with effort.

_Be careful… two vampires, but the other night I thought… could be a third_… _disgusting! Ugh!_

"Vampire, definitely," I announced. "And I'm pretty sure he's not alone."

"Anyone I know?" His mind flipped through the friends I had never met, playing me a sample of each of their voices.

I shrugged. "I don't think so. I'm still not hearing anything from the other one, and I can't see through his eyes yet. But they're as repulsed by the smell as we are."

"Where are they?"

I nodded over toward the west.

"We should go introduce ourselves," Carlisle decided. "And we can show them where to get away from the stench."

I frowned. "You want to bring them _closer_ to Hoquiam? I doubt they're vegetarians, Carlisle." Maybe this was the source of the anxiety that my instincts had been vibrating with. I knew that Carlisle occasionally made new friends, but I had never been with him on such an occasion yet. I felt unaccountably nervous about encountering a new vampire that I knew nothing about- especially now that I knew there were two of them.

Carlisle saw my fear. "Well, they're probably just passing through. We'll explain the situation. And I've told you before: most nomads are skittish, but not unfriendly. Come on, it'll be fine."

I reluctantly followed him, but I practically tripped over my feet when I started listening again.

_… kill them! … get a fire going._

"Carlisle!" I barked, grabbing his arm and halting our run. "They're hostile."

He sighed. "Really, Edward. How can you-"

"No," I growled, pulling him back the other way. "I'm serious! They're mentioned killing, and starting a fire!"

Carlisle hissed in a breath. _Esme! _"Let's go," he said quickly, and we turned tail and ran back the way we had come. I focused everything I had behind us, hoping to hear the vampire's thoughts fading quickly away. He still seemed to have a companion, though I hadn't heard a second mind yet. I just hoped that they were both slower runners than Carlisle, or that they would lose interest as our scent faded.

But to my dismay, the minds were getting clearer, not more faint. I finally had a glimpse from the vampire's visual field now: the landscape, flying by at an unnatural speed. To my horror, I could now see the same racing image coming from not two, but _three_ minds. And not only that- they seemed to have some sort of telepathic link to each other. There weren't many words being exchanged, but they definitely weren't vocal. Was a group talent even possible, or was this three _separate_ talents?

_Ephraim, we've never taken on three before!_

_That's why we're going to hurry- before the third one comes back. I don't smell him at all._

"Three of them, telepaths," I hissed. Carlisle got another burst out of speed with his panic, but it still wasn't going to be enough. They were gaining, albeit slowly.

"Emmett!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. "Get over here NOW!"

If I had felt anxious before, I was _terrified_ now. My body was screaming at me to run at top speed, but I forced myself to keep pace with Carlisle. I almost wept with relief when I heard Emmett's mind breaking into my own.

_We're coming! What's the matter? _

"NOW!" I shouted again as we flew over the ground toward him.

_Okay! You sound like you're a couple miles out, though. Be right there…_

I stretched backwards again with my gift, horrified to see both Carlisle and myself running, and now the mystery mind was imagining us dismembered and burning. I spun around, frantically searching for our pursuers, but they must have been in the line of trees just off to our right side. I shoved Carlisle's shoulder toward the other direction.

"Turn!" I hissed, keeping my attention on the minds behind us. They were surprisingly silent as they ran- I only heard the one mind occasionally, and even that one was mostly focused on dodging trees. Who _were_ these people, and why did they want to kill us!? Carlisle didn't have any enemies, not like this. And it couldn't be the Volturi; coming at us this way wasn't their style. There was something off about these minds- they didn't sound like any vampire mind I had ever heard before. I hadn't sampled very many- only Demetri's and Jane's, besides those of my family and cousins. I had picked up the scent of vampire a few times during my years away, but I hadn't ever made contact, or ever gotten close enough to hear their thoughts. But no matter their diet, every vampire I had met had the same beautiful, musical quality to their thoughts- a sort of elegant tone that humans lacked.

But these minds weren't fitting the mold. They didn't sound beautiful- if anything, their thoughts were _hurting_ my ears. Not my literal ears, but my mind as I listened through my gift. And it wasn't literally painful, but grating, irritating. Not unlike the stench we were still running through. If only we could get back out into the clean air, then we could smell what we were up against.

Shouldn't we be out of the stench by now? But it was getting stronger, not weaker. I scanned the horizon again- we were definitely back to the spot now where the smell should have been lessened.

As terrified as I was, I was intrigued. What if this was some other kind of vampire species? Was there such a thing? That might explain the group talent. And what if the smell-

I could hear footsteps pounding through the trees beside us now, and there were more footfalls than there should have been. Were there _more_ than three?!

_Almost there!_ Emmett- and Rosalie, a bit further out.

_Almost there. Triangle formation! Levi to the right, GO! _

Definitely not Emmett. I grabbed Carlisle's arm and skidded to a stop, spinning around just in time to see our pursuers emerge out of the trees, but Carlisle and I both gasped aloud at the unexpected sight.

There before us, not three hundred yards away, were three enormous… _wolves._

"Werewolves," Carlisle hissed beside me. _That explains the smell. _He glanced up, cursing softly at the full moon hanging over us. _I don't believe this! Have they been here by the coast all along? And what does this have to do with the vampires? Have we stumbled into some kind of battle?_

I scanned the forest wildly for the thoughts I had been hearing. Were there not any vampires at all? But werewolves didn't have sentient minds, not in this form... but there was no mistaking the murderous thoughts coming from right in front of me.

All three wolves had their ears laid back and shoulders bunched in anticipation. They were growling now, as they began to inch forward, and were spreading slowly out into a triangle. Their teeth looked sharp, even to my eyes, and I pulled my lips back, baring my own teeth in response.

_Filthy bloodsuckers! We're going to rip you to pieces, just like the last one who dared infest our land!_

The black wolf, the one on our left, swept to his right as he began to close in. _It's been a long time! I can't wait for this!_

The one in the front- the russet-red one, swung his head toward the black one. _Levi, hold! Are we sure the third vamp isn't around? I thought I smelled him just now. _ The black wolf froze in place, lifting his snout to the air.

"Bite as quickly as you can," Carlisle said in a cold voice. _I don't want to do this- they're men- fathers, sons. But we have no choice, Edward. It's either us or them. Stay close to me, and hopefully Emmett will-_

"I can hear them," I interrupted. I found it difficult to speak at all- my body was going crazy. The scent was so heavy now that I could barely think, and both Carlisle and I were deep in attack crouches without even thinking about it. My muscles were quivering with the desire to attack, and my voice whispered out, choked with venom. "There weren't any vampires. The wolves are having sentient thoughts."

_That's not possible! Caius-_

But there was no more time for discussion. The red wolf, unsure if a third "bloodsucker" was on the way, finally decided to attack, and all three of them sprang forward instantly, widening the triangle and surrounding us. Carlisle and I drew slightly apart, our backs to one another as the wolves jumped.

For one tiny portion of a second, the world froze as I realized an awful truth, one I had never had to face before: we might lose this fight. This could be the end. All that debate about our souls, and now…

The red wolf launched himself in the air, heading straight for me. I rolled off to the side, my teeth snapping uselessly an inch from his huge shoulder as he flew by. I flipped back onto all fours, snarling in guilt and fury as he slammed into Carlisle, knocking him to the ground as he tumbled past him. Even as he fell, my father was kicking the brown wolf aside as he righted himself, spinning to dodge the jaws of the black one. The red wolf turned away from me for a split second, mentally telling the others that he was joining in the attack on Carlisle- how if they could get enough limbs off of the blonde one, it would be easier to kill _me_. I dropped down to lunge again, jerking my feet to the side, anticipating the black wolf's new position. The venom was running down my chin as I snarled and gathered myself for the spring- I would _not_ miss this time. That wretched animal was going to die _right_ now, sentient or not. _I_ would die before I let another one of these monsters touch Carlisle again!

But before I could attack, the most wonderful thing happened. There was a furious roar and Emmett barreled into the fight, followed closely by Rosalie. They each knocked a wolf away from Carlisle, and a high-pitched screech sounded as Rosalie's arm was grazed by the black wolf's teeth. Emmett shrieked in anger and backhanded her assailant, knocking him out of the fight just as Esme ran up, gluing herself to Carlisle and baring her teeth at the red wolf, daring him to attack again. Carlisle's mind itself was a whirl of confusion and hatred as he dug his fingers into the ground, trying desperately to recover his rational thought. I had never seen that look on his face before- he looked like a _monster_. My mind was eerily quiet- there were hardly _any_ rational thoughts among the eight of us: it was mostly instinct now, just like Caius had said.

Us or them.

Dodging another attack by Rosalie and Emmett, the red and brown wolves jumped away toward the black one, their eyes and thoughts darting around wildly as they took in our numbers. I took the pause to glance frantically back at Rosalie, but she seemed to be all right, for now. When Carlisle had told us about the existence of werewolves last year, I hadn't asked if he knew anything about the myth of the werewolves' poisonous bite. It had seemed so silly at the time…

It didn't matter right now. The wolves weren't running away, like they should be doing, now that we outnumbered them. Nobody had really been hurt yet, but that was obviously about to change. The red wolf barked out a single mental command- and this one had a deeper, more sinister tone than before.

_We WILL finish this. It's us or them, and if we have to die now to protect our people, we will. We attack together, around the left side toward the big one…_

The scuffle before had only been the beginning, then. I crouched down, trying to invent a plan of attack with the remainder of my sanity. I knew that my parents, and my siblings, were going to attack in pairs. This left me more vulnerable, but it could also be an advantage, if I used my speed correctly. I shot forward, sweeping around to the left, my jaws opening in victory as I closed in on the brown wolf, who was just turning his head to see the blur of my approach.

"STOP!"

Everyone froze, more in shock than obedience. I dug my hands into the ground to stop, snapped my teeth shut, and whipped my gaze over to Carlisle as I recognized the command in his voice cutting through the cloud of hatred in my mind. He had somehow gotten himself standing up fully, and the murderous look I had seen a moment ago on his face was gone.

"Stop fighting!" he choked out, swallowing his venom. _Please, please listen! _"You know we'll win. But we don't _have_ to fight! I know you can understand me! Everyone, stand DOWN!"


	6. Treaty

**Big thanks again to EmeraldStar73 for her help with this part of the story- many of the details here in the treaty scenes are her ideas. We've spent many an hour going through canon with a fine-tooth comb to get this chapter as fluid and believable as possible. Thank you!**

* * *

We were all frozen in mid-attack. My face was still inches from the hot, putrid breath of the brown wolf, and the growls erupting in my chest were echoed in his own. I turned away from Carlisle to face him again, noticing that his mind was focused inwardly, on the thoughts that the three wolves were sharing. He wasn't giving me his full attention. My muscles tensed, and the red haze burned again in the corners of my vision. If I went for his throat right now, he wouldn't have time to…

"_Please_," Carlisle repeated, holding his hands in the air. "I know you can understand me. We don't have to do this. Let's just give each other some space for a minute."

He slowly reached down to Esme's shoulder, gently pulling her up to stand beside him. The red wolf's mind was racing as he weighed our superior numbers against whatever trick that Carlisle was trying to pull. Finally, he decided to agree to the truce, and all three wolves pulled backwards, away from us. As the brown wolf retreated from me, we glared at each other, one last snarl tearing out of both our throats. I forced myself to stand, my legs shaking in protest as I fought my instincts. I moved to stand beside Carlisle, my shoulder touching his own.

Emmett was the last to move. His hair was practically standing on end, and his mind was barely coherent as he finally pulled himself back toward Rosalie. As soon as he saw her, he stood instantly, examining her arm. It seemed the injury was already gone. We all turned, standing upright, to face the wolves. The clearing was silent, but for the thudding of the wolves' huge hearts, and the uneasy thoughts on both sides.

The wolves were bunched together, still crouched as they waited for our surprise attack. Carlisle was watching them nervously, his body poised still in standing, but ready for combat. _Edward, are you positive they can understand me? __I have to be sure!_

"Yes," I whispered, wincing when I heard the word echo in the wolves' minds. It seemed their hearing was supernatural, as well as their speed. "Yes," I whispered again, even more quietly. It seemed they hadn't heard that one. Without taking his eyes off of the wolves, Carlisle reached and pulled me behind him in a protective gesture, so that my face was hidden from their eyes. I was still able to see our enemies through Carlisle's eyes, but the disadvantage of losing my own sight made me feel panicked. I started to move away, but Carlisle stopped me.

_I don't want them to know about your ability, and I need you to be able to speak without them seeing it. __We need to learn all that we can._ "Thank you," he said aloud. "It was obvious from the intelligence in your eyes- and your size, of course, that you aren't just regular wolves. I know our species are usually enemies. But I think if we all just calm down for a moment, there won't need to be any further fighting. We can-"

The red wolf crept forward a step, his snarl echoing across the clearing. _This has to be a trick- get ready!_

_Why aren't they attacking? There are enough of them now._

_I don't know! __I don't remember their kind ever addressing the packs in any of the stories. __And what's wrong with their eyes?_

_Maybe they're sick. __I'm telling you, Ephraim, if we bring down the big one first, we could-_

_Quiet! __I want to see what he's going to say next. __Be ready._

"They're wondering about your eyes," I whispered. Only Carlisle's eyes had faded back to anywhere near golden; the rest of us were still panting, our eyes black with fear and rage. Even Esme was shaking with anger and the desire to kill, as she continued to breathe in the werewolves' scent. But she was slowly beginning to regain her rational thought, and she had a death grip on Carlisle's arm, drawing her strength from his own fragile composure.

"We're not like other vampires," Carlisle told them. "That's why our eyes are golden, instead of red. We don't feed on human blood. In fact, we don't hurt humans at all. We hunt animals."

_That_ got their attention. The red wolf-Ephraim- stood to his full height, and with a quick mental command, the others stood out of their crouches and stopped growling.

_Impossible. __It has to be a trick._

_I don't know. __Maybe he's telling the truth. _

_It doesn't matter! __They're on our land, and that's enough for me. __Even if we can't win, we could at least draw them away from the tribe._

"We're on their land," I whispered. "I think they're referring to the reservation."

I was beginning to separate out the individual thoughts in what I had first thought was a collective mind. Ephraim seemed to be the leader- the Alpha, as the brown wolf was thinking of him. I already knew that the black wolf was Levi, and he was the most dangerous one. He was thinking that it would be best to run off, only to attack us separately the next day. He was picturing himself running on all fours, sniffing the ground in the daylight, ready with some extra clothes in case he encountered a human, and needed to phase.

Phase? In the daylight?

"They can phase at will," I whispered at vampire speed. "They're not linked to the moon at all. They could phase right now if they wanted to."

_Are you sure?_

"Yes. The red one is the Alpha, and he's more willing to listen than the others. The black one still wants to fight, but the Alpha has them under his control."

Carlisle shook his head, trying to reconcile these new facts against werewolf lore- nothing seemed to be matching up. "You _are_ werewolves?" he asked uncertainly, glancing up at the full moon.

Ephraim dipped his head.

"Well…" Carlisle glanced up again, frowning. "I realize this night is, ah, a full moon, but if you could change to human form, this would be a lot easier. We would both be able to speak-"

The brown and black wolves leapt forward, snarling in rage at Carlisle's latest trick. Ephraim yelped once, and they halted immediately, as though an invisible wall had stopped them.

_Of course he wants us to phase! __We'd be much easier to kill._

_I don't know…_

_Ephraim! __Don't be an idiot! __We need to attack NOW!_

_Calm down, Quil! __Nobody's going to phase._

I stepped out slowly from behind Carlisle, my hands raised peaceably. "The truce will continue if you phase. We won't harm you. We just want to talk."

_That one has golden eyes, too! __Maybe he was telling the truth about the blood._

_It doesn't MATTER. __They're still vampires, and as soon as we phase, they'll kill us. __You know how fast they are._

Quil, the brown wolf, was remembering a dismembered male vampire, burning. In the corner of the image, I saw two male American Indians feeding the fire. From the equally brown hands at the bottom of the image, I assumed that I was seeing the human forms of these very wolves- and the vampire they had killed before.

I looked at Carlisle. "Maybe it would be easier for them if we gave each other a little more space," I said in a normal voice.

"We could do that," Carlisle said hopefully. "And you might feel more secure if only the leader changes. Though I say again, we will _not_ attack. Is that understood?" He turned to face the rest of us with his question. I tensed in panic as he exposed his back to our enemies, but I nodded stiffly, along with the others.

Carlisle gestured to the rest of us, and we retreated again, putting two hundred feet between us and the wolves. They stood unmoving, their minds wrestling with their options. They believed that they could outrun Carlisle and me, at least. They weren't so sure about Emmett, but if they could draw him ahead of the rest of us, it would be three against one.

I _wanted_ them to run. Now that I was calming down, I shared Carlisle's reluctance to kill these creatures that were, in at least some way, human. If they would just get out of our sight, and if we could get our noses away from their scent, maybe this _could_ work. Maybe there didn't have to be any killing. Although I wasn't liking what Levi had said about "our land". He was still trying to persuade Ephraim not to phase, but Ephraim was intrigued by Carlisle's strange eyes and his calm demeanor. He was eager to speak for himself, and he was confident in his ability to phase back in time, in case we were treacherous.

He finally gave the order, and the other two wolves reluctantly moved to stand in front of him. We all gasped in surprise as the red wolf shrunk down, and we saw the head of a young, male American Indian take its place. After a moment, the two remaining wolves parted, and Ephraim stood up to walk toward us, dressed in only a pair of cut-off cotton pants. Where had he gotten clothes? I looked closer at the other two wolves, seeing for the first time the folded fabric, bound to their left hindlegs with a leather cord. Ephraim himself had some kind of long leather cord around his neck, with a small pouch for a charm. The necklace was much too large for him- presumably so it would still fit when he was in wolf form. It must have been hidden by the fur of his throat before. He took a few more cautious steps toward us, and then stood still, folding his arms across his muscular chest as the two wolves flanked him on either side. In any other situation, he would have looked intimidating; but here, without his werewolf body, he looked small and vulnerable. It would be _so_ easy…

"My name is Ephraim Black," he said in a deep, clear voice. "I am the Chief of the Quileute people. What is your business here?"

I noticed, with a jolt, that the two remaining wolves were still able to share their minds with each other, but that they were both thinking in Quileute now. They were both relieved to be thinking in their native tongue again. Ephraim, now in human form, was thinking in English, and was separated from their minds. It seemed that when he had been in wolf form, everyone's thoughts took on the language that their Alpha thought best in. I was still disgusted and mistrusting of our enemies, but it was fascinating to observe this unique phenomenon. I was just relieved that I already _knew_ the language. From the few seconds that had elapsed, I had already noticed the unique prefixes that the two wolves used for each other: Levi was "tall" and Quil was "gentle". I wondered what Ephraim's prefix would be, were they to address him.

"My name is Carlisle Cullen," my father was saying. "This is my wife Esme. Our children are Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward. All five of us share a deep respect for human life. We have lived in the area for over a month and a half, and you'll notice that there haven't been any disappearances or unexplained deaths."

"Then what, again, is your business here, if not to feed?" Ephraim repeated stiffly.

"We live here," Carlisle answered. "I'm a physician. I work at the hospital in Aberdeen, and my children-"

Ephraim barked out an ugly laugh. "The hospital? That's convenient." _Free blood from the dying. __No wonder there haven't been any disappearances. __This one's clever- p__osing as a doctor, even!_

I clenched my teeth, swallowing the urge to respond to his thought. What was the point of speaking to us, if he wasn't going to listen to anything we said?

Carlisle continued, hiding his own offense at Ephraim's words. "And my children attend school in Hoquiam. I say again, we do not feed on human blood. I spend, on average, ten hours a day _saving_ human lives. And I've treated some Quileutes, as well."

"Not anymore," Ephraim spat. His curiosity was quickly running out, and he was eager to get down to business. "Listen, leech-"

"Carlisle, please."

Ephraim's eyes narrowed. "_Carlisle_. To be quite honest, we've never encountered vampires as… civilized as your group seems to be. And maybe you're telling the truth about your diet. But the bottom line is, you're vampires, and you're on our land. And we don't tolerate vampires being on our land."

"What exactly do you mean by 'your land'?" Carlisle asked, picturing our location on a map.

"You're on traditional Quileute hunting grounds. Our people have occasionally been plagued by your kind, and it is the sacred duty of the pack to kill them. We are sparing you- for now- because, as I said, your group seems unusually well-mannered. But now that I have explained the situation, I expect you to leave the area immediately."

I let out a frustrated sigh. This was unbelievable. The _one_ place in the United States that we fall in love with immediately, and what do we find? Werewolves, ready with an eviction notice. Knowing Carlisle, he would bow immediately to their wishes. He wasn't a coward, but he would rather relocate than have any unnecessary confrontation.

I was surprised, then, to see his eyes harden and his arms fold, matching Ephraim's stubborn posture.

"We have no quarrel with you," he said calmly. "I see no reason why my entire family should have to pick up and move. If you would prefer that we don't come this close to the reservation, I'm willing to respect that."

Ephraim's arms dropped slowly down to his side. "I would _prefer_ that you leave Washington State altogether," he said menacingly.

"I fail to see why that's necessary," Carlisle retorted. "My children are in the middle of a school year, and I'm the only physician this area has. If I leave suddenly, the medical care here is going to suffer." _And if I show any weakness, this truce is going to fall apart. __Please, listen to me!_

Ephraim snorted. "I doubt they'll miss you. Did you even go to medical school?"

"Several times," Carlisle replied evenly. "Now, I'm going to be honest with you, Ephraim. We are not nomads, like many vampires are, but we _are_ migratory. This is not a permanent settlement on our part. We generally stay in each location a maximum of five years. And as I said before, we are willing to respect your ban on vampires around the reservation."

"Five years is unacceptable," Ephraim said, his voice rising slightly. "And when I said 'land', I wasn't referring to a one-square-mile patch of dirt dictated by the U.S. Government. I was referring to the entire Peninsula." _Not exactly all Quileute land- not by a long shot. __But Hoquiam is too close for comfort. __So is Seattle, but at least it's farther off._

"He's lying," I announced. The wolves bared their teeth and inched closer to Ephraim, who glared at me.

"Why does this one keep speaking?" he asked Carlisle, pointing rudely in my direction. "Which one of you is the leader of the coven?" _Maybe they aren't as civilized as I thought- no command structure at all. __And how did he know that I was lying?_

"I am. But we are a family, not a coven," Carlisle said firmly. "And when one of my children speaks, I listen." _Especially when he has inside information.__ "_What is it, son?"

I stepped forward, halting my approach when the wolves began to growl. "There are several tribes on the Peninsula, and I know for a fact that the Quileutes have never laid claim to the entire body of land. It's common knowledge, to anyone who bothers to learn about local history. And when we spoke of hunting animals, we usually hunt in the Olympic Mountains, or further east. We have no need to hunt in the forest by the coast, if it makes you uncomfortable."

"Then why are you here tonight?" Ephraim demanded. "You were running straight toward the reservation."

"We came here tonight because we found an unfamiliar scent, and we were curious," Carlisle replied. "It turns out that it was _your_ scent."

Emmett opened his mouth to speak about his whale-hunting plan, but I shot him a dirty look, silencing him.

Ephraim followed my gaze, and I sighed as he noticed the darker color of Emmett's eyes- his had faded back, like the rest of us, but his naturally weren't as golden. "Emmett is the tall one?" he asked, his offensive posture unchanged.

"Yes."

"His eyes are different from the rest of you. Why?"

A hostile growl erupted from Emmett's throat, and Carlisle winced inwardly, holding a restraining hand in his direction. "Emmett is new to this life. All vampires begin with red eyes, due to their own human blood remaining in their bodies. It takes some time for the golden color to fully take over."

"What do you mean, 'new'?" Ephraim demanded. "And you speak of not killing humans, yet it appears you've already killed four of them. You are the creator of the others, are you not?" _This is bigger than any coven in the stories. __I HOPE he created all of them, or we've got a bigger problem than we thought._

"About a year," Carlisle answered smoothly. It was the closest I had ever heard him come to lying; if Emmett hadn't had his accidents, his eyes would match ours by now. I just hoped that if Ephraim asked directly about any of us having killed humans in the past, that Carlisle _would_ lie- though I seriously doubted it.

"And yes, I created the others," he continued. _I probably shouldn't volunteer how recent they all are. _"And in response to your other question, every one of my family members was dying when I found him or her. I would never change anyone who had a chance of surviving."

Ephraim's eyes narrowed. "Are you in the habit of creating new vampires often?" he asked in a scathing tone.

"No," Carlisle said quickly. "I have no intention of creating another vampire, ever."

Ephraim glanced at each member of our family, noticing the way my parents and siblings were paired. "What about that one?" he asked, nodding towards me. "What happens when _he_ decides to go select a mate?" He was picturing me ghosting around the reservation at night, stealing a young woman and carrying her off into the darkness, my sharp teeth gleaming in anticipation.

Ridiculous.

"I would _never_ do that," I hissed through my teeth. "I would _never_ destroy a woman's future just to satisfy my own desire. I respect human life, as my father does. The question is, do you?"

_Easy, son…_

"Do we what?"

"Respect human life!" I hissed, hoping to get him thinking about the humans he had no doubt killed. "You've been interrogating us this whole time, but what about you? Everything I've ever heard about werewolves leads me to believe that you're just as likely to kill humans as we are. _We_ aren't a threat to the humans in this area. Are _you_?"

_Edward, enough! __This truce is fragile enough as it is!_

I clamped my mouth shut, quivering with tension as I waited for Ephraim's thoughts to betray him. But all I saw were memories of patrolling the area, night after night.

"We _protect_ human life," Ephraim said proudly. "It's why we exist, to protect the Quileute people. Against _you_. We're nothing like the monsters in those ridiculous legends." He flinched ever so slightly as he remembered a story his grandfather had once told him- about a wolf who had accidentally killed a family member who had been standing too close when he phased. But in the story at least, it truly seemed to be an accident, and I saw no evidence of _this_ pack harming anyone.

Carlisle turned his head toward me ever so slightly, and I gave him a reluctant nod. "I am prepared to take you at your word, if you are prepared to take us at ours," he told Ephraim. "It seems we are not that different, after all- we both respect human life, despite the stereotypes that follow our respective species."

Ephraim finally relaxed his arms. He and Quil were both starting to believe our claims about our diet, while Levi was still waiting for the chance to attack. "There is a big difference between us," he said in a calmer voice. "Your kind is _known_ for killing humans- and we both know I'm _not_ referring to legends."

"And, as _I_ said before, our family is _not_ like other vampires," Carlisle said wearily. _It's like beating my head against a brick wall! __Edward, is he believing any of this?_

I nodded my head slightly, and Carlisle raised his eyebrows, looking at Ephraim with new eyes. _What if I could really make this work? __Could we really coexist in peace? __Could I trust them if I had their word?_

I had only to look in Levi's mind to know the answer. Even if we were somehow able to convince Ephraim of our innocence, there would still be no peace. Through the lens of Levi's mind, I saw my family- and myself-as he saw us. In his eyes, the unique crystalline quality of our skin took on a distorted, angular appearance. The moonlight on our skin, which our eyes perceived as a gentle shimmer, looked to him like a white-hot poisonous flame, licking about our armor-hard skin. Our scent was repulsive, physically hurting his nose with the rotten, decaying sweetness of dead flesh. Even our golden eyes glowed menacingly in the dark night.

We were _hideous_. And unlike the wolves, we couldn't transform into soft, gentle humans. We were full-time monsters, and he would never see us as anything else.

No, there could be no peace. Even if Ephraim somehow agreed to it, even if I could verify that he meant it, we would never be able to relax. We would never be able to be separated from one another, for fear of being attacked separately. I caught Carlisle's eyes, shaking my head as I exhaled in defeat.

But Carlisle wasn't ready to give up. He loved this land as much as the rest of us did, and he hadn't been lying when he had told Ephraim how his absence would hurt the quality of medical care in the area. But it was more than that; he was truly excited by the idea of forging a peace with our enemies. It would be an unprecedented act, to be sure. It was exactly his sort of challenge.

"Even if you are different, as you claim," Ephraim said aloud, "I cannot in good conscience allow you to stay. And I will not allow you passage through our land to the ocean. But you have my word that your group may withdraw in peace. I think that a week should be plenty of time for you to get your affairs in order."

Levi and Quil stared at their Alpha, unbelieving.

_A week? __Are you nuts?_

_Ephraim! Phase back! What are you doing?_ Levi let out a whine, sounding for all the world like a real puppy as he nudged Ephraim's shoulder with his snout.

Carlisle took another step forward. "I thank you for your offer, but I have another idea. We have all already demonstrated how reasonable we can be. I think that it's quite possible for us to live in peace, together on the peninsula. We could-"

Ephraim's arms began to tremble in anger, and the wolves leapt away from him in anticipation of his explosion into wolf form. In response to the perceived attack, Emmett and Rosali snarled as they dropped into attack crouches. The wolves mirrored their aggressive posture, teeth bared.

"Stop!" I called to my siblings. "They weren't going to attack."

Emmett waited a second, and then stood again, pulling Rosalie up with him. _Too bad._

Ephraim's hands were clenched as he struggled against his own instinct. "You see?" he said sadly. "Our kinds are enemies, Carlisle. This is just the way that it is. There can be no peace."

"I think there can be," Carlisle argued. "If we give each other enough space. We could agree on certain boundaries, hunting ranges."

Ephraim laughed bitterly. "No, thanks. We already _have_ a reservation. You know, if I didn't believe you before, I do now. You're starting to sound less like a vampire, and more like a white man. Why kill us when you can just box us in by drawing lines on a map?"

Carlisle bristled. "That wasn't what I meant at all. And I've always been appalled at the way the U.S. Government has dealt with American Indians. It's insulting. If you're like the other tribes I've encountered, you never saw the land as subjugated property in the first place."

Ephraim's mind softened further. "Yes, that's true. But if you understand, as you seem to, then you know how I feel about my people being boxed in."

"I wasn't referring to boxing your people in. I am only speaking of… a treaty, if you will, between my family and you wolves. We could simply draw a line that both of us agree not to cross- the treaty wouldn't need to apply to the human members of your tribe. I admit that our species are natural enemies, and that your scent does stir an instinctual desire to attack. So if we keep, say, to the Olympic range, and you keep to the coast- as you seem to, anyway- then I think this could work. And like I said, we won't be here forever."

Ephraim stood silently, considering Carlisle's offer. Quil was anxiously nudging Ephraim's shoulder again, trying to get him to phase back. Levi was surprisingly still. He hoped that Ephraim would accept the offer- but only because he wanted to lull us into a false sense of security, and attack us another day.

"And if I don't accept your treaty?" Ephraim asked pointedly.

Carlisle set his jaw, determining not to show any weakness. "Then we will defend ourselves," he replied evenly. "And we will win." _We would leave, of course. __But I know this can work, and he's almost there, isn't he, Edward?_

I shrugged noncommittally. My face was in plain view of Ephraim and the wolves, and I had too much to explain- too much for a rushed whisper. "Perhaps Ephraim would like a chance to consult with the rest of the pack," I suggested aloud.

Carlisle frowned when he caught my meaningful tone. "I would like some time to speak to my family, as well," he told Ephraim. "I want to make sure we're all on the same page before making any formal agreement."

"I never said there was _going_ to be a formal agreement," Ephraim shot back. But after a moment's hesitation, he nodded. "I suggest a bit more space, first."

We retreated further, until there was five hundred feet between us and the wolves. We watched as the wolves moved in front of Ephraim again, and the red wolf reappeared. Carlisle waved us all into a tight group.

"Wait a moment, please," I murmured, giving my full attention to the wolves' minds. Carlisle nodded just as Rosalie and Emmett began to argue with him, but I tuned them out.

_All right, I know you guys have a lot to say. __But before we begin, I want to make two things very clear. __First, I realize that I'm not really going to be the official Chief for much longer, but this council is still under my command, especially in this situation. __Second, the Cullens could have killed us five times over by now, but they haven't. __I still don't understand why they are making this offer, but we'd be fools not to consider it. __All right, out with it._

Quil was first. _There's not much to say. __This is crazy! __We don't make deals with leeches. I vote no._

Levi was next. _No, I think it's a good idea. __Let's make the treaty, and then we give it a couple of weeks before we pick them off separately._

Ephraim growled at Levi, baring his teeth slightly. _Absolutely not! __We may be monsters, but we have our honor. __If we make this treaty, we are going to honor it. __And that includes you, Levi. __If I make the agreement, you are both going to be under Alpha order not to break it. __Ever._

Levi growled back at Ephraim, but bowed his furry head in surrender. Was it really that easy? What was an Alpha order?

_I don't see why there needs to be anything official_, Quil whined. _You know you can't trust a vampire, anyway. __They'll just turn on us the first chance they get._

_Weren't you listening to me before? __They are more than a match for us. I don't believe that Carlisle would have bothered to offer us the treaty, if he wasn't genuine. __He certainly didn't NEED to make it._

_"__Carlisle"? __So, what, we're on a first name basis now? __It's not a person, Ephraim! __It's a bloodthirsty corpse!_

_Calm down, Levi. __Nobody's saying that we have to be friends. And__ if we do agree to the treaty, it's going to be on our terms. __Ideas?_

_Yeah! __They can get lost, and take their coffins with them._

Ephraim rolled his huge eyes. _I'm serious, Quil. __I was thinking along the lines of some clauses to ensure they behave themselves. __Like a rule about not killing humans, and not creating new vampires. __That way, we can make the treaty in good faith, and if they so much as bite somebody, we can attack with honor. _

_What about the Hoh? __We should include them in the treaty. __They're still Quileutes._

Ephraim snorted. _That's debatable.__The last time I tried to-_

As the wolves began debating what qualified somebody as a Quileute, I turned to my family, talking at breakneck speed. "They're under the impression that we'll attack if they don't agree to the treaty. Levi- the black wolf- wants to make the treaty and attack us later, but Ephraim is insisting that if made, the treaty will be honored. He said the pack will be under something called an 'Alpha order'."

"What's an Alpha order?" Esme asked.

"I don't know, but I think I heard a couple of them earlier. Sometimes when Ephraim spoke- mentally- to the others, he used a different kind of mental command, and the others always obeyed instantly, regardless of whether they agreed with the order. They didn't seem to have a choice."

"It sounds like we would truly be safe, if Edward can observe the order being given," Carlisle said.

"Oh, please!" Rosalie whispered fiercely. "Even if this Alpha thing is real, he can just reverse it later, can't he?"

"Possibly," I conceded, "but I have to admit, Ephraim seems to be interested in the treaty, even without the perceived threat of attack. He's not as optimistic as Carlisle about it, but he feels that the tribe will be safer if we do make some kind of formal agreement. And he and the brown wolf both seem to believe everything Carlisle has said."

"The tribe was never in danger in the first place," Emmett pointed out. "I say we kill the wolves now, and get on with our lives. I love it here just as much as Rosalie does, but I don't want to live here with a bunch of mutts breathing down my neck. Let's kill them, or move on." _I vote kill. __I like it here._

"Nobody's killing anyone," Carlisle said firmly. "If they don't agree, we will leave. And if any of you are vehemently opposed to this, we'll leave in that case as well."

"Of course we'll leave," Rosalie hissed. "That's what we always do, isn't it? The moment anything gets tough, we retreat."

"So you do want to stay, then?" Esme asked her.

"Of course I want to stay! But Carlisle isn't willing to fight for our right to be here, is he?"

"No, I am not willing to fight," Carlisle sighed. "But I want to stay, as well. And just think- if we can make this treaty work, we'll be making history."

"I don't care about making history," Rosalie said. "I care about making it through the next five years alive. There's no way we can trust them to hold up their end of the treaty."

"I disagree," Carlisle replied. "The fact that we were all able to stop fighting shows that we can all be reasonable. If Ephraim is willing to trust us, then I'm prepared to trust him. Unless you've heard anything, Edward, that would suggest he's not trustworthy."

I shook my head. "He only lied once, that I can tell- when he said the whole Peninsula was Quileute land. And he only did that to create a larger buffer between us and them. He still hates us, but I haven't seen any other sign of treachery. Levi is another matter, but if this Alpha order thing is genuine, that might not be an issue."

Esme was watching Carlisle intently. "You really want this, don't you?" she asked softly.

"I do," he admitted, looking at all of us with love in his eyes. "If we can achieve a peaceful coexistence, it would be the first of its kind. This family has already broken the mold several times- in our diet, five times over, but also in our ability to live in such a large, cohesive group, and also in our ability to live among humans. Now we have the chance to rise above our nature once again, and to be honest, I like the idea of our family being the ones to make this mark on history." _And I can do what I've always wanted to do- make a difference._

"You've done that many times over, Carlisle," I said respectfully. "If this is what you want, you have my vote."

"And mine," Esme said quickly.

The three of us turned to look at Rosalie and Emmett, and I took a quick peek back into the wolves' minds.

"The wolves are going to agree," I reported quietly. "Though they have a few demands."

"Well?" Carlisle asked, looking at his two newest children. Emmett glanced over at the wolves with disgust, but he nodded.

Rosalie was having a harder time. She truly loved the Peninsula, but she believed that the wolves would betray us. She thought that Carlisle was a fool for believing otherwise. But she was also thinking about how badly she had treated him the other day, and she had already been looking for a chance to make it up to him. This appeared to be it.

She nodded.

Carlisle broke into a handsome smile, and turned back to Ephraim, who was in human form again.

"My family is ready to agree to the treaty, if you are," he announced.

Ephraim took a deep breath. "My brothers and I have discussed the matter, and we are prepared to treat with you, with a few conditions."

Carlisle nodded for him to continue.

"First of all, we are only making this treaty with the understanding that you are being honest about your… diet. If any one of you bites a human, the entire agreement is null and void. And when I say bite," he added, glaring at me, "I mean _bite_. To us, turning a human into a vampire is equal to murder."

"Fair enough," Carlisle said easily. His calm tone belied the fear in his mind- he wasn't worried about me, but there was always the risk of Emmett slipping again.

"And we want the line drawn to include the Makah and Hoh Reservations. Possibly the Quinault."

"Fine. But I have a condition, as well. I think that we should formally agree that neither of us will disclose the other's true nature to the general public. There's no point in making this treaty if someone from the reservation runs to the Hoquiam Police the day after tomorrow, complaining about a vampire infestation."

Ephraim finally cracked a smile. "I see your point. And I will agree, with the exception that some among our tribe already know the truth about us. It's just recently that we have begun keeping our identity a secret within the tribe. Some of the elders still remember the wolves from the late 1800s, and many others have been raised to believe that we are real. And our own family members know the truth, as well."

"I'll leave it to your discretion, then, on what to tell those people about us," Carlisle replied, taking a step closer to Ephraim. "But I meant what I said about nondisclosure. If I get so much as a dirty look from a police officer-"

"My people will respect my wishes," Ephraim said stiffly. _And believe me, they won't be getting anywhere near YOU anymore. _"Anything else?"

Carlisle shook his head. "We still need to work out the details of the boundary line, but I think we have an accord. If you want, I could return home and prepare a document-"

"No thank you," Ephraim interrupted. "My people have had enough of signing agreements with whites."

To everyone's surprise, he began to walk forward, holding his hand out to Carlisle. The wolves whined in worry, but hung back after Ephraim shot them a warning glare.

Carlisle took a deep breath and stepped forward, as well. Like the wolves, I ached to pull him back as he separated himself from us, exposing himself to attack. He and Ephraim drew close enough to touch, both holding their breath against the mutual stench. Carlisle's glowing white hand clasped Ephraim's brown one, and there, in a dark forested corner of the American frontier, history was made.


	7. Drawing the Line

**Note: Before you read this chapter, I highly recommend opening another browser window and bringing up a map of the Olympic Peninsula. A big part of this chapter is the treaty line, and the decisions that lead to how it was drawn. Trust me, you'll enjoy the chapter much more if you can visualize the highways, towns, reservations, etc.**

**And one last BIG thank you to EmeraldStar73. Your help on these past three chapters has been invaluable!**

* * *

As soon as the handshake was complete, both Carlisle and Ephraim pulled quickly away from each other, the tension having grown exponentially with the physical contact. Ephraim's hand was hotter than a human's, while Carlisle's was corpse-cold. Fire and ice weren't meant to touch.

"How should we do this?" Carlisle asked. "Do you want to have some time to look at a map? We could agree to meet again tomorrow night, and draw the line together."

"We have no use for maps," Ephraim said disdainfully. "This has been our land for uncounted generations. Unless _you_ need some time to-"

"No," Carlisle said sharply. "Our memory is infallible. It would be more accurate, at any rate, if we walk the land together." _Ugh. I've never been so irritable before. I hate having my family see me like this. Stay calm…_

Ephraim nodded his agreement, glancing up at the moon. "We still have several hours of darkness. I am going to phase briefly so that my brothers are included in the ratification of our agreement. Once this is done, you won't need to fear them any longer… as long as you hold up your end."

"How does that work?" Carlisle asked innocently. "Is your authority different in wolf form?"

Ephraim ignored him, walking back toward the wolves to phase again. _The less they know the better. We may have a permanent truce, but that doesn't make us allies… or friends. _

I held back a smirk, as I continued to pick their secrets out of their thoughts. I had to admit, Ephraim's mind was an interesting place. He kept telling himself not to trust or admire Carlisle, but a small corner of his mind was doing just that. Carlisle broke every rule about vampires, and not just because of his eye color. It seemed to him that the "blond leech" was almost human- and quite a bit better than most humans, at that.

Ephraim was impressed with me, as well, but in a more suspicious way. Most of my speech so far had been disturbingly intuitive, as far as he was concerned. I had caught a fleeting thought about some vampires being talented, but he didn't seem to suspect me of reading his mind, per se. Still, it might be wise to make a few misleading comments throughout the night. If the wolves felt any need to guard their thoughts, I wasn't going to learn near as much.

I listened in fascination as Ephraim, now in wolf form, gave the Alpha order. It was as if he was speaking in a different voice, and the other wolves' reception of the command was curious, as well. Levi's plan of double-crossing us vanished immediately, as soon as the words had left Ephraim's mind. Rosalie had made a good point- Ephraim seemed to retain his free will, and could reverse the order if he wanted- but I had to admit, I was beginning to feel a grudging admiration for him, as well. From the pure hatred he had spewed toward us in the beginning, I never would have expected such a reasonable outcome as the one we were getting. And there was no mistaking the sense of honor that Ephraim carried.

When he was "human" again, Ephraim conferred briefly with Carlisle, and they agreed that we would all walk together to the Northern coast of the Peninsula, and draw the boundary as we walked - quickly- south. It would have been more efficient to run, but they both felt that it would be best to keep everyone as calm as possible.

While we walked North, the wolves kept a hundred feet away from us at all times. Ephraim and Carlisle walked closer to each other, but never any closer than fifty feet. Carlisle was insisting that he would need access to all the towns and major roadways. Ephraim wasn't liking the idea of the "line" being anything other than just that- a line of longitude. Both men were still dealing with the aggravating scent of the other, and tensions were still high.

"I'm a physician, Ephraim," Carlisle said with barely-veiled frustration. "Furthermore, I am often the only physician within one hundred miles. I am occasionally called to emergency scenes. Just last week, I had to run up to Forks to care for a logger who had been hurt on the job."

"You work at a hospital," Ephraim replied testily. "Let them bring the wounded to you."

"And what am I supposed to say, when they call me? That since I'm a vampire, I'm not permitted to cross the 124th meridian, because there are werewolves on the other side? And don't you occasionally need to come into town, for various reasons? I'm speaking of creating neutral territory for _both_ sides."

Ephraim just glared at him. _I knew I shouldn't have shaken his hand until the end. He's going to keep coming up with exceptions. And what happens if another vampire- the real kind- comes to visit him? What am I supposed to do then?_

I bit my tongue, willing myself to keep my face impassive. This was the kind of thought that we needed to answer, but I was determined not to give Ephraim any more reason for suspicion. I tucked away the thought for later- it _would_ be a problem if one of Carlisle's friends came to visit, especially if they came via the Pacific. Not that any of them had come, since he had changed me, but it was always a possibility. We would at least need to inform our cousins of the danger, in case they decided to drop in.

"Fine," Ephraim said aloud. "Towns and major roads. But there's no way in Hell you're going on the reservation, for any reason."

"Agreed," Carlisle said reluctantly. "If it comes up, I'll just refer to some vague prejudice that your people have against white doctors."

"It won't come up," Ephraim promised. "I'll see to that."

_He would really let his people suffer, rather than risk having me treat them?_ _That's… sad._

"Other exceptions may arise, due to my profession or my children's schooling… or on your side, as well, if one of you had a need to come onto our side." Carlisle said carefully. "It might be best if we had a way to contact each other, for such instances."

Ephraim's hands began to tremble with anger, but he ground out a phone number through his teeth. Carlisle gave him the numbers to our home and the hospital. Levi and Quil snorted their disapproval at this, especially.

_This is ridiculous. Trading phone numbers with them._

_I know. Next he'll be wanting to go hunting with them. _

_That's disgusting, Quil!_

_Well, it sounds like we actually go for the same game…_

_Oh, come ON! You don't really believe that, do you? They're obviously lying about their diet!_

_I don't know, man. You gotta admit, they're pretty different than that other one._

I was assaulted again by their memories of killing the male vampire three years ago- only this time, I saw the actual attack. I swallowed as I watched them dismember the nomad in less than three seconds. Levi had phased and started a fire. The nomad was dead less than five minutes after they had first picked up the scent.

I shivered as I realized how truly close to death Carlisle and I had come, before the others had joined the fight earlier this evening. I had never felt so… _mortal_. Not in a long time, anyway. It was a disturbing feeling.

_Ha! That was great, wasn't it? I hope Carlisle has some friends, and they come to visit soon. After tonight, I'm itching to kill a vampire._

_I hear you, brother. You wanna make a little wager?_

Levi rolled his eyes, thinking how everything was a game to Quil. _All right, what?_

_I'll bet you that these vamps don't make it a month before breaking the treaty._

_But you said you bought their story about the diet._

_Well, yeah... but just because they might have good intentions doesn't mean they won't mess up._

_And if you're right?_

_Then I get to take the big one down myself._

_See, this is why you're not the Alpha- because you're stupid. We patrol as a pack, we kill as a pack. End of story. These guys are lethal, Quil. One bite and you lose your ability to heal. You think that's funny?_

_Um, no…_

_And another thing. She's not human, so cut it out. It's repulsive, hearing you think about her like that._

_Well, you deserve it. I have to live with your Ellen daydreams all the time. She's my cousin, for crying out loud! And even you have to admit that Esme looks way better than her. Come on._

_You're sick, you know that? She's a walking corpse!_

I just about lost it at this point. When I saw Quil's lustful thoughts toward Esme, I almost attacked him right there. The very idea of one of those mutts even _looking_ at my mother… I shuddered and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to forget what I had just seen. In my blind fury, I walked right into Carlisle, who had stopped and turned around. He held me by the shoulders, searching my eyes worriedly. _You were growling. Is there something I need to know about?_

"I'm fine," I muttered, shrugging out of his hands to continue walking. He followed silently, murmuring his apology to Ephraim for the disturbance.

_I'm serious, Edward. If you learn something important, I need to know before we part ways with the wolves. If you do have something urgent to tell me, I want you to tap my shoulder three times, and I'll find a way to hear what you have to say. But unless that happens, I need you to stay calm. Your mind-reading has never been so important as it is tonight._

He paused, waiting to continue walking until he saw my assenting nod. I was already distracted, anyway, as I listened in fascination to Levi's mind. Ellen wasn't his wife- not yet. He was courting her, in a sense, and the loving tone of his thoughts was something I had never seen before, not even in Carlisle's mind. He _worshipped_ Ellen. His entire life- with the single exception of Ephraim's Alpha orders- was centered on her. Her happiness was the absolute goal of every decision he made. It was physically _painful_ to be away from her for more than a few hours. He was remembering the day when he had "imprinted" on her, and I almost walked right into Carlisle again, as I reeled from the secondhand power of the memory in Levi's mind.

As we walked, I heard thoughts of a similar nature in Ephraim's mind, about his wife Martha. There were far less of these, since he was so focused on his uneasy conversation with Carlisle, but my mind was still blown by the sheer totality of his devotion to his "imprint". It did seem less of a two-way street than the vampire mating bond, though, and the absolute servitude that these men appeared to give to their imprints seemed rather unhealthy.

But it was an amazing phenomenon to behold, nonetheless. These wolves might be malodorous and uncivilized, but they sure knew how to love.

.

.

.

When we reached Clallam Bay, we turned around to face the south. Vancouver was at our backs, the Olympic National Forest was to our left, and the Pacific to our right. Ephraim moved to stand to Carlisle's right, with plenty of space between, and we started to walk, drawing the line as we went.

It was agreed that the vast majority of the forest itself would be Cullen land; the Quileutes didn't generally make it that far east anyway. The Makah people were well within the wolves' territory. When we hit the 101- neutral territory- it made sense to let that define the line for a few miles as it headed due south. When Forks came into view, it was agreed that the "neutral territory" would balloon out around the town for a few miles. It made the line a little closer to the reservation that Ephraim would have liked, but Carlisle insisted that he be given a wide berth around the town. This ensured that he would be able to attend most emergency calls from the main logging sites.

In response to this concession, Ephraim demanded that the line cut back east to follow the 101 again for another ten miles, providing a nice buffer around the Hoh reservation and the riverbeds around it, where the people fished. I hadn't paid much attention earlier to the wolves' debate regarding the Hoh, but from what Levi was thinking now, it seemed that the Hoh had once been considered Quileute, though most of their ancestry was actually Quinault. At any rate, Ephraim was more than happy to use the Hoh's connection to his own people as an excuse to shove the treaty line back to the East.

The highway split off to the West after that, and that was when things got dicey. When Carlisle and Ephraim had shaken hands in the beginning, it was after Ephraim had used the phrase "possibly the Quinault", as part of a list of reservations he wanted behind his side of the line. He had made it sound like an afterthought, and we had all assumed that it was just another tiny reservation along the coast. And while Carlisle hadn't explicitly agreed to the Quinault qualification (it had been a "possibly", after all), Ephraim was now adamant that it be included.

That was all well and good, except for one thing: the Quinault reservation was _huge._ It jutted twenty miles inland, crowned by the Quinault Lake. In order for the line to be drawn around it, we would be slicing right into the forest, to the e_ast_ of the 101.

"Highways are neutral territory," Carlisle reminded him. "It doesn't make sense for there to be neutral territory _behind_ your side of the line. We can widen the neutral territory, like we did with Forks."

Ephraim shook his head. "The Quinault are our cousins. They belong behind the line," he insisted, and I rolled my eyes in exasperation. Just twenty minutes ago, he had used the excuse of the Hoh's ancestry being Quileute, as _opposed_ to just Quinault, in order to get Carlisle to agree to _that_ part of the line. I wondered how many more "cousins" Ephraim was planning on coming up with tonight.

"I _have_ to be able to use the highway," Carlisle said, his voice rising slightly. "I can't very well arrive in Forks, medical bag in hand, exiting the forest on foot, now can I?"

"And you already agreed that the forest was Cullen land," I put in.

Ephraim looked at me in annoyance. "I said _most_ of the forest would be Cullen land. You're getting at least ninety percent of it!"

"I'm not concerned with the line cutting through the forest," Carlisle said. "I'm talking about not being able to use the highway, which cuts directly through the Quinault Reservation, and follows the coast for fifteen miles North of that."

Levi and Quil inched closer, baring their teeth.

"But that takes you right by the Hoh," Ephraim argued. "We just established that-"

"If you're going to make exceptions every time the highway turns a corner, then maybe we need to take the Hoh out of the treaty," Carlisle said testily. I moved closer and laid my hand on his arm, in an attempt to calm him down.

But Levi didn't see my movement that way.

_Oh no you don't!_

As I moved toward Carlisle, he bounded over to Ephraim's side, growling openly at me. I shivered as the sound called to my instincts, but I refused to endanger the delicate peace that my father was forging. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to remain standing upright.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked Ephraim. I was rather proud of how calm I sounded, and how unaware. This would help deflect any concern about my "intuition" earlier in the night.

Ephraim just sighed, motioning for Levi to retreat again. "Nothing. And the Hoh are staying inside the line."

Carlisle took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down- a futile exercise, considering how much of the werewolves' scent he was breathing in. "For the third time, Ephraim, I _need_ to use the _highway_. And when we get further south, the highway will head east through the towns, and I know that you'll need to be able to use it there. So I suggest we give each other a little credit, and stop splitting hairs. The highway stays neutral. All of it."

Ephraim ground his teeth, but nodded. "Fine! Use it, then. I will allow full access to the 101 along its full route, including the Hoh and Quinault reservations, in exchange for the treaty line itself being drawn east of Quinault Lake, as I said before. But I mean driving, only. You are not to exit your vehicle while you are to the West of the treaty line, anywhere."

Carlisle rolled his eyes. "And if I get a flat tire?"

"Don't get one," Ephraim hissed. For a moment, I thought the discussion was about to deteriorate again. But Ephraim's lips twisted up, just a bit, at the corners. Carlisle let out the barest hint of a chuckle, and they started walking again, both thinking about how ridiculous the situation was.

I wouldn't have called it a turning point, exactly, but things seemed a bit less tense after that. After the Quinault Reservation was successfully skirted, the treaty line merged with the 101 for good, ending at Hoquiam, and Gray's Harbor. Our house was a good fifteen miles inside "Cullen land"- plenty of breathing room, literally. Clean air was a must, in this case. Ephraim promised that the wolves hardly ever ventured that far east, anyway, unless they were driving in a car.

By the time we had finished drawing the line, I had learned more about werewolves than I would have ever thought possible. And I had certainly learned more about _these_ three werewolves than I ever wanted to know. After Carlisle's "flat tire" comment, and the ensuing two seconds of levity, all three wolves had relaxed a bit, letting their minds wander as we walked. I saw glimpses of Levi's gambling debts, Quil's shrimp allergy and obsession with crime novels, Ephraim's burden of guilt regarding the Alpha commands, Levi and Quil's ongoing debate about tribal and national politics… I was getting a headache, and it wasn't because of the stench. Everything I learned was in bits and snatches of thoughts, and it was left to me to assemble the pieces. After he had calmed down further, Carlisle had asked as many leading questions as he could, and I knew he would be eagerly anticipating my report as soon as we were out of the wolves' hearing range.

In the end, a good two-thirds of the Peninsula ended up as Cullen land. While no specifics were drawn up, it was agreed that the eastern portion of the 101 would be the beginning of neutral land again. It was also agreed that the Northern coast of the Peninsula and its beaches, along the Strait, would be generally considered neutral. This allowed us access to the Strait so that we could hunt in Canada, while allowing the wolves use of the public parks and beaches. Port Angeles was neutral, at any rate.

The sun was just beginning to rise when these last concessions were made, and Carlisle and Ephraim shook hands again, to seal all that had been agreed upon throughout the night. Each of us verbally ratified the treaty, and Ephraim phased again to give the final Alpha order. Levi and Quil gave their grudging agreement, and Ephraim phased back to report that the treaty had been ratified by all three of them.

Carlisle was disappointed. He had hoped that some level of trust had been built throughout our negotiations, and that Ephraim would allow the entire pack to phase into human form- if not for handshakes, then at least for introductions, and their verbal agreement to the treaty. But he didn't want to suggest the idea out loud, and Ephraim didn't offer it either.

"Well, it's been an interesting night, to say the least," Ephraim said in the end.

"I have to agree," Carlisle said, inclining his head respectfully. He was quite calm, now. "I am grateful that we were able to bring our confrontation to such a reasonable conclusion."

Ephraim allowed himself half a smile. "It's one for the history books, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. And we still have all the neutral territory. You and I could even meet sometime, if you like, and share our-"

Ephraim's smile faded. "I don't think so." _Let's take this one miracle at a time._

Carlisle smiled politely, hiding his disappointment. "As you wish."

Ephraim began backing away. "I don't think we'll need to meet again, unless there's a problem, do you?"

"I suppose not."

That was it. The wolves turned, and we watched them until they were gone.

.

.

.

We walked home in a daze. The day was dawning into the sunniest we had seen yet- quite a contrast to the frightening evening we had just had. When our house came into view, Carlisle drew a deep breath and wordlessly led us all to one of the miniature lakes nearby. We all submerged ourselves, scrubbing until our clothes began to shred.

After I had showered and burned my clothes with the rest, I found Carlisle sitting and sparkling on the roof, leaning his head on his knees as his mind raced repeatedly through the events that had just taken place. When I landed lightly beside him, he looked up at me, his memories shifting to the day he had changed me.

"Penny for your thoughts," I said. He finally cracked a smile, thawing out of his statuesque reverie. I sat down beside him, following his gaze. He was staring towards the West- towards the land that was now forbidden to us.

"You trust me," he said, after a few moments of silence.

I nodded curiously. "Of course. We all do."

He squinted at the horizon, raking his fingers through his damp hair. "Have I done the right thing, Edward?"

I shook my head slowly. "Carlisle, what you did last night… it was _beyond_ the right thing to do. Not only did you manage to stop a deadly battle in its tracks, but you forged a new type of peace that none of the rest of us could have conceived of. How did you even-"

My throat hitched as I looked at my father. The sun was reflecting off both of us equally, making our inhuman skin glitter. We were the same. And last night, I had seen a side of Carlisle that I had _never_ seen before. He hadn't been immune to the electrifying hatred that the wolves' scent ignited in all of us. He had been down in the dirt like the rest of us, snarling and ready to kill.

But in a matter of seconds, he had defeated his monster, just like he had defeated it every time he had changed one of us. He had forced his mind back into civility, and stood upright like a man, while I was still on all fours, a slavering beast who wanted nothing more than to slay his enemies. If it hadn't been for Carlisle's voice reining my monster in for me, I would have _torn_ through those wolves. I would have fought and bitten until the ground was littered with fur and blood, or until I myself was a pile of ash.

"How did you _do_ it?" I demanded, staring at him in awe.

He frowned, confused. "The treaty?"

"No. I mean, how did you stop the fighting? How did you stop _yourself_ from fighting?"

He finally smiled, laying his hand on my shoulder. "It was because of you, son."

I blinked. "What?"

"It was bad enough, thinking that I was going to have to kill them in the beginning- rather, _hoping_ we could kill them, before they killed us. As far as I knew, they were Caius' werewolves- feral and unthinking in their animal form. I would never have thought to reason with them. But you stopped me."

He shivered, thinking about how last night _could_ have ended. The two of us, dead, if the others hadn't gotten there in time. Or if they had, the massacre that would have followed. The terrible guilt of having killed three strangers, simply because we hadn't known  
that there was another choice.

"You know that I love you for yourself, son," he said as he opened his eyes. "Not your gift. But I have never been so thankful for that gift, as I am right now. Even as the fight was beginning, I was able to see them as men, not monsters. I never wanted to kill them, and once I knew that I might not have to, it was easier to find my humanity again. You saved us from committing a terrible act last night."

I dropped my eyes, uncomfortable with the praise; it certainly wasn't deserved. All I had done was tell him that I could read the wolves' thoughts- he had done the rest. "I'm not so sure it would have been so terrible," I ventured. "If we had killed them, the threat would have simply disappeared. I mean, I'm glad we didn't kill them, of course. But this isn't _over_. We're still enemies. And even with everything I learned through their minds, I still don't know if we can trust them to uphold their end of the deal."

"Trust," Carlisle mused. "It's funny, isn't it?" Ephraim trusted me enough to treat with me, but not enough to let the others phase, even once. I don't even know the brown wolf's name." _They're just men, like everyone else. I'll never even get the chance to meet them face to face. _He shook his head sadly, thinking of how much fuller the peace could have been, had Ephraim been willing to try.

"His name is Quil," I said. "He loves crime novels, he's allergic to shrimp, he annoys Levi to no end, and he can't, for the life of him, get a date."

Carlisle's eyes shone as his curiosity overshot his doubt. He hadn't yet heard my full account of everything I had learned.

"Tell me," he said eagerly. "Tell me everything."


	8. Life as Usual

I settled back against the chimney and began to tell Carlisle every single thing I had heard in the wolves' minds, starting with the moment I had first heard them, foolishly thinking they were vampires. Soon, the rest of our family joined us on the roof to listen.

When I got to the part where Ephraim had mentioned not being the Chief much longer, Carlisle stopped me.

"What did he mean by that? Is he stepping down?"

"I'm not exactly sure," I admitted. "It wasn't something that any of them spent much time thinking about. I think it's more that the Chief position is being abolished altogether, or at least being reduced to a ceremonial role. When Ephraim thought that particular phrase, he was picturing himself, Levi, Quil, and two others sitting around a table. And later on, Levi was grumbling to himself and Quil that there was no point forming a council if Ephraim would always have the power to Alpha-command three-fifths of it to vote as he chose. Quil was arguing that Ephraim used his Alpha commands sparingly, and Levi countered that he didn't see Ephraim calling a meeting to get approval before making the treaty with us. Then Quil said something about the charter not being signed yet. Then Levi-"

"We get the point," Rosalie interrupted. "Endless mental bickering." _I can't believe I'm actually feeling sorry for those mutts. __Ugh, it's like having two Edwards!_

"Three," I corrected, resisting the juvenile urge to stick my tongue out at her. Two Edwards, indeed. "When all three are phased, it's a three-way telepathic link. Every thought, every feeling, is laid bare. And the emotions, in particular, aren't just observed- they're _shared_."

"Fascinating," Carlisle breathed. "So, it seems that the council is soon to be the governing authority within the tribe. I wonder if the two human members will know the truth about the werewolves, and about us?"

I shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Levi had a valid point," Esme said thoughtfully. "There doesn't seem to be much use in even _having_ a council, if one member has the ability to force three out of five votes."

"No, Quil was right," I countered. "Ephraim hates using Alpha commands. He was being honest with you, Carlisle, when he said he was phasing after the handshakes so that we wouldn't have to fear his brothers any longer. He gave a total of six Alpha commands through the evening, and he regretted every one of them. Near the end- you know, after the flat tire comment, when things calmed a bit- his mind was whirling with second-guesses."

"About treating with us?" Carlisle asked warily.

"About a lot of things. He's not sure if we can be trusted, and he's worried that making treaty was the wrong thing to do. He also worries about his adequacy as the leader of his people, in general. Even when he was picturing the council taking over, he was thinking about how he will always feel the burden of leadership for the Quileute Nation."

"Always? Are the wolves immortal?" Esme asked.

"Yes and no," I said uncertainly. "Again, I only got information in snatches, and many of the thoughts I did get were about legends, not necessarily factual history. I _think_ that the wolves are mortal, but not quite like humans. Quil was thinking one time how glad he was to 'stay twenty-five'. On the other hand, Ephraim was thinking once about 'my son carrying on after I'm gone'. So, I don't know. Maybe they have a longer life span than humans?"

"It doesn't sound as simple as that," Carlisle mused. "Perhaps their aging is paused for a time, then resumes."

I nodded slowly, tilting my head as I ran again through my memories of last night, with the filter of Carlisle's statement. "You may be right. Levi did think something about eventually 'being done' and then he imagined himself growing old with Ellen. I didn't understand what he meant at the time, but now it makes sense, if your theory is correct."

"So Ephraim's son would be a werewolf too?" Emmett wondered aloud. "I always thought they created each other by biting, like us."

"So did I," Carlisle said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. _I wonder if it's hereditary. _"I'm beginning to think that these creatures have absolutely nothing to do with the werewolves Caius had persecuted."

"Well, if they're not werewolves, then what are they?" I asked.

Carlisle shrugged. "I have no idea. It's possible that the Volturi have cataloged many other species, including this one, that we've never even heard about." _I wonder what Aro would make of these werewolves. __This is just the sort of puzzle that would delight him._

"I hope you're joking," I said darkly. "Getting the Volturi involved-"

"Relax, Edward. It was just an errant thought. I have no intention of courting Aro's attention on this matter, or on any other. Besides, I think Volturi would only end up destroying them."

"Guess that would be breaking the treaty," Emmett snorted. "It's a shame, though. I still can't believe we left those dogs alive."

"Emmett," Carlisle said sadly. "We made the treaty to _avoid_ taking their lives. I, for one, am happy with the outcome."

"That's easy for you to say," Emmett growled. "If they had sunk their filthy teeth into _your_ mate's arm, you might not be so forgiving."

"I told you I was fine," Rosalie sighed, rubbing her arm at the place that had been torn. "And it really was just a scratch, anyway." Emmett allowed one more growl to rumble in his chest before gently picking up her arm and kissing the invisible injury. Rosalie was just as angry as he was, but she was determined to keep her mate calm.

Emmett had a point, though. Carlisle was imagining the wolves hurting Esme, and the barest hint of a snarl rumbled in his own chest. How would he react if I were to tell him about Quil's lecherous thoughts? But I wanted the treaty to succeed, as well, so I decided to delete that bit from my account. Besides, Esme's honor was one point on which Carlisle's pacifism was in danger of faltering. If he really did lose control and lead an attack the wolves, he would never forgive himself.

"Regardless of how we may feel, Emmett, we are going to uphold the treaty. _All_ of us." Carlisle pinned Emmett with a sharp glare, and my brother dropped his eyes in submission, even as he ground his teeth. It was rare for Carlisle to be stern with any of us, but Emmett especially. Despite his enormous strength and voracious appetite, Emmett was actually the most _easy_-_going_ vampire I had ever met. I could count on one hand the times that he had gotten a sharp word from our father. Esme scolded him often for his tendency to break furniture, but she was laughing as she did it, more often than not.

"Don't worry," Emmett promised. "I will. But the second one of them crosses the line…" He cracked his knuckles, holding Carlisle's gaze and silently daring him to disapprove. Carlisle sighed, wondering which was more difficult: drawing an unprecedented peace with an enemy species, or managing a houseful of teenagers. Emmett was technically the oldest, at twenty, but in situations like this, he was definitely the youngest.

"Let's move on," Rosalie suggested diplomatically, before Carlisle could respond. "What was that you said about someone named Ellen?"

I went on to tell them about the mystery that was imprinting, and then continued my account of all I had learned. When I had finished, Emmett heaved a sigh.

"Guess whale hunting is out permanently, then."

"I wouldn't say that, especially," Carlisle replied. "We have access to the strait, and thus, the ocean. Although we might want to cut a wide berth around the coast."

Emmett nodded. "What, like five miles?"

"It would need to be more like fifty miles," I said. "They hunt whale themselves, remember?"

"I hadn't considered that," Carlisle admitted. "We don't want to endanger the treaty by causing unnecessary offense. Maybe it _would_ be best to put whales on hold, Emmett, until we move again. But other than that, I don't see why we should alter our routine. The whole point of this treaty was to allow both groups to live in peace without fear of attack."

But that was easier said than done. As soon as the words "fear of attack" came out of his mouth, Carlisle glanced at Esme, and then at the rest of us, wondering again whether our trust in his leadership would prove to be our undoing. He spent the rest of the weekend second-guessing his decision, and when Monday rolled around, he was reluctant to let the family split up as usual. It was one thing to "trust" the wolves when we were all five together, but it was quite another for him to let Esme go out alone, as she often did while he was at work.

"But it's not like I'm going hunting in the forest alone," she protested, following him into the kitchen, where he kept his car keys. "I usually just go into Hoquiam, or Aberdeen, or Seattle, sometimes."

Carlisle just answered her with a conflicted expression. He hated to limit her movements, but now that he had to go to work, his mind was full of dark possibilities involving the wolves' treachery- all of which centered on them running into Esme while she was alone and unprotected.

"Never mind," she sighed. "I'll just stay home this week."

"Home?" Carlisle echoed weakly. _That's even worse. __Maybe I could take a week off…_

"I'll stay with her," I offered.

"No, you won't," Esme said firmly. "You three are going to school as usual."

Carlisle wasn't worried about _us_. The three of us would not only be together, but we would be surrounded by humans at school all day, and we were already under strict orders to return home immediately afterwards.

"Esme…" he began carefully. "Why don't you come with me to the hospital today?"

She sighed inwardly, but shrugged and put on a smile. _Poor Carlisle._ "I guess I could find something to do there. I've been meaning to wallpaper the first exam room."

"Yes," he said gratefully as he ushered us all out the door. "I think they could all use some wallpaper."

.

.

.

By the end of the week, we were all getting sick of Carlisle's preemptive caution. Rosalie and Emmett were itching to have some time alone in their cabin, and Esme was beginning to feel suffocated. She would never consciously compare Carlisle to her first husband, but I was beginning to see memories surfacing that I hadn't seen in a long time: Charles' refusal to let her drive, and his refusal to let her have any sort of hobby, other than grocery shopping, that involved leaving the house. It hardly mattered, anyway; there were so many days that she had to stay home, waiting for bruises on her face and arms to heal, that his rule had been almost unnecessary. This week was nothing like that, of course, but on Friday, when Carlisle began suggesting other projects that Esme could undertake at the hospital _next_ week, she was hard-pressed to hide her frustration.

And if Esme was the most inconvenienced, I was the most annoyed. I was used to having complete freedom, and to having hours to myself every day, both at home and in the mountains, when I chose. I had now gone six full days without respite from my family's thoughts, and I was beginning to lose my patience.

As soon as the others were gathered outside Friday night, I sought my father out in his office. "I'm thirty-five years old, and I'm a vampire," I announced, pushing his door open without knocking. "I think I can take care of myself."

Carlisle just looked up guiltily, setting aside his paperwork. "I know, son. And I know that I've been a little… overprotective. But I'm responsible for the safety of this family-"

"Overprotective? You're being absurd," I growled, collapsing into the chair opposite his desk. "How long are you going to keep us all locked up together? Esme is going to-" I swallowed the rest. I thought Esme should be more honest with her husband about how his hovering was affecting her, but it wasn't _my_ business.

_What about Esme?_ he thought quickly. _Is she upset?_

"Oh, no you don't," I snapped. "You know how I feel about playing the telepathic marriage counselor. Talk to her yourself. My point is, you're driving us all-" I took a deep breath and blew it out again, running my fingers through my hair and letting my anger crumble under his patient gaze. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to storm in here and bite your head off. You know how irritable I get when I don't get a break from everyone's minds."

"Yes, I know," he said quietly. "And I'm sorry about that. It's just that I've never actually had to worry about everyone's _safety_ before. It's quite… unsettling."

"I understand that. But if we're not going to have any freedom, what's the point of there even being a treaty? We may as well go ahead and move. Or are you going to ease up next week? Because Rosalie and Emmett are driving me _insane_."

Carlisle leaned back in his chair, twirling his fountain pen over his fingers at an inhuman speed. _No, you're right. __We should return to our normal routine. __It's just… _ He was picturing Esme again, being torn apart by the wolves. He closed his eyes, the image repeating itself faster and faster as he tried to push it away. There was a cracking sound, and I sighed as I stared down at the new ink stains on my shirt. Carlisle sheepishly handed me his handkerchief with one hand and tossed the mangled pen into the trash can with the other.

"Seriously, Carlisle, what are the odds? I've already told you that Ephraim has every intention of upholding the treaty- at least he did last weekend. And even if they did break faith, how would they know where Esme was going to be, at a certain point in time? And even if they did, do you really think they'd attack her car on the highway, or follow her into a department store in broad daylight?"

"I suppose not." _You'll understand someday, Edward, when you have a mate of your own. __I can't HELP it._

I kept scrubbing at my face, using Carlisle's viewpoint as a mirror. "I'm telling you, Carlisle, the wolves aren't going to break the treaty. If you ask me, the only real risk is Emmett."

"But he gave me his word."

"I'm not talking about him breaking the treaty on purpose," I said in a quieter voice, looking uselessly over my shoulder as I checked his location outside. I leaned forward, dropping to a whisper. "I'm talking about him breaking it by _accident_."

"Yes," he admitted. "There is that risk. Though if he does slip again, we'd be hurrying out of town anyway."

"That's true. Still, it might be a good idea to take some, ah, extra precautions." I stopped scrubbing, peeking up at him to watch his reaction as I spoke. I had wanted to make this request for some time, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. "I think that we should continue the blood challenges," I said in a casual tone, measuring my words. As I had feared, Carlisle frowned instantly.

"Whatever for? Those were only to help Emmett start controlling his instincts. The pain-"

"-is worth it if it makes us safer," I said pointedly. "It's never been so important for us all to avoid mistakes. And I think he would go for it, if you were willing." I paused, catching his eyes with my own. "In fact, I'd like to participate again as well."

I winced as Carlisle accidentally replayed the memories of my unstable behavior during the previous attempts a year ago. We had both been baffled by my sensitivity to the blood, and Carlisle had never had any intention of exposing me to that particular form of torture ever again. _Why? __Why would you want to go through that again, Edward?_

I wasn't sure how to answer him. Part of it really was the risk that Emmett's newness presented- and he would probably be more willing to participate if I did it along with him. The treaty made it all the more important to desensitize him as much as possible. But I wanted this for myself. _I_ wanted to desensitize further, so that I could return to my plan of going to medical school.

My original idea, back in 1931, had been to go as a gift to Carlisle, so that he could keep up with the current advances through me vicariously, as I studied. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to go for _myself_\- and the more I wanted to succeed. I had just about given up, last year, after my failure with the first round of blood challenges. But lately, as Emmett's newborn craziness had settled down, and in the silent beauty of our new home, I had been thinking more and more about trying again.

I knew that it might be impossible, or at least fruitless, in the end. I knew that if, by some miracle, I _was_ able to finish medical school, I would always have trouble working as an actual doctor; I was simply too young, physically. And while I enjoyed helping people, I knew I would probably never have Carlisle's friendly compassion, or his endless patience with his human coworkers and patients. But the more I thought about becoming a physician, like my father…

It was a human notion- following in my father's footsteps. There could be no "following", in terms of career, or in terms of succession. Carlisle would never work anywhere long enough to have any sort of real tenure, and he certainly was never going to _retire_. I would simply be joining him, in his chosen path. Like a junior partner, like a colleague.

Like the son he had always wanted.

A son he could be proud of- even in front of his human peers. I had never actually witnessed him wishing that I would become a doctor, but I knew what it would mean to him, if I did. Even if I was never able to practice medicine- if I could just complete the schooling, if I could just wear a white coat that matched his own, I could imagine what his smile would look like.

I knew comparing myself to Carlisle Cullen was a lost cause. His existence was the brightest spot in the vampire world, and everyone knew it, except him. Even Aro- the man who had seen it all- had been astounded by his uniqueness. Even _before_ he had made the groundbreaking discovery about the animal diet, he had defeated his instincts- as a newborn, no less- in a way that I would never understand. And now, at the tender age of 296, he was already the leader of one of the largest covens in the world, not to mention the only vampire doctor in existence. And even in human terms, he was amazing. How many doctors would come out here, to this damp, cold frontier, to work in a five-room hospital? How many fathers managed to keep such a volatile family together under one roof?

But his achievement with the wolves last weekend… that was still blowing my mind. I still couldn't figure out how he had managed to stop us all from killing each other. Or how he had managed the treaty itself- a concept which he had somehow invented on the spot, while constantly breathing in the disgusting, irritating fumes that the dogs put off- all the while keeping his family under control, _and_ battling his own murderous instincts, _and_ doing his best to ignore Ephraim's childish insults. I didn't understand it.

But I wanted it.

I didn't have any _ambitions_, per se. My future was here, as Carlisle's son. If I had learned anything from my rebellious years, as I now called them, it was that I needed my father's guidance, and I probably always would. I really wasn't ever going to "grow up", in some ways. I had every intention of being a son for the rest of my existence, and if I did find a mate someday, she would become Carlisle's daughter. I had no intention of breaking away, or of starting my own coven when I was "old enough".

But I did want to become more like my father, if I could. What son didn't? I admired his gentle, compassionate nature, but that was intangible. But his iron-clad control over his monster, his freedom in the human world… I believed that those were achievable, if I worked hard enough with the blood.

I felt rather foolish telling him all this, though. I didn't want to raise his expectations for something that might never be. And he would only feel guilty for being the inspiration, for being the example that led me to do things that might prove too difficult for me. I looked at him now, letting him see just a portion of my hope.

_Well?_

"I just want to," I said lamely, feeling both of us deflate at my adolescent evasion. "I think that I can do better."

Carlisle looked at me warily. _"__Better"? Edward, for the hundredth time, you don't need to-_

"Just think about it," I said as I stood up, tossing the inky handkerchief in the trash. I spun on my heel, disgusted once again with my own ineloquence, and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Hunting. Alone?" I paused at the door, waiting for his permission. He nodded reluctantly. I was out the door in an instant, running through the forest and soaking in the blissful sound of silence.

.

.

.

The werewolves never made their surprise attack, and the Sheriff never knocked on our door, laughing nervously as he followed through on an anonymous tip about us being vampires.

As Carlisle let himself relax throughout that second week, he grew optimistic. I had told him, that first morning, about the uneasy respect that Ephraim had held for him by the end, and he had been truly surprised. He now hoped that his subtle overture of friendship would be reconsidered, and that Ephraim might telephone him after all, willing to meet and share their stories. It would be a friendship that defied all the odds- one for the history books.

It wasn't to be. Instead, the Quileutes stopped coming to the hospital for medical care altogether. At first Carlisle was understandably nervous that the disclosure portion of the treaty had already been broken, and I spent an entire weekend camped out behind the Sheriff's office, making sure that nobody was dropping any hints about us. After I eased Carlisle's worry, he was simply disappointed. Not only did Ephraim not have any intention of contacting him, but now he was letting the health of his own people suffer, just to make a point.

And it wasn't just the hospital. Lawrence, the school janitor who had unknowingly given me the key to Levi's and Quil's thoughts, had disappeared overnight, as well. I only got one glimpse of the principal's thoughts regarding his abrupt departure.

_I don't understand it- Lawrence wasn't going to retire for another five years, and now he quits without notice. __And it isn't like him to be so prejudiced- mumbling about how his people didn't want him anywhere near the Cullen children anymore. __Never could get a real reason out of him._

It was unclear from the principal's thoughts what Lawrence had said to him, exactly. And it wasn't even clear whether Lawrence had even known _why_ he wasn't supposed to mix with us. But the whole situation was infuriating. Not only had Ephraim taken away an old man's livelihood, but he was really pushing the whole nondisclosure clause. I went to Carlisle immediately, demanding that he contact Ephraim. But Carlisle balked, saying that he wouldn't have much to say to him, unless he wanted to disclose my talent, which he didn't. And besides, he didn't anticipate any more problems. And there weren't any, but the damage had been done, as far as I was concerned. I lost most of the respect that I had gained for Ephraim Black, and I had no intention of associating with werewolves ever again.

.

.

.

Later that month, Carlisle asked Emmett about doing the blood challenges again, and Emmett agreed that it was probably a good idea, as long as I did it, too. Carlisle agreed, despite his misgivings, and had finally stolen the blood today for our first try. Rosalie and Esme were disgusted by the whole business and decided to stay at home.

Carlisle took us a few miles up and chose a dense, hilly part of the forest.

"This is how we're going to do it," he said to me as he gathered the wood for his fire. "I'm going to be staying still this time. I want you two to move two and a half miles to the North. You'll stay together until I can tell you mentally that the blood is ready. At that point I want you to move apart, east to west, so that Emmett's thirst won't be compounding with your own as much. After you've separated, it'll be up to both of you individually, to move forwards or backwards to where you need to be. I think the goal should be to get as close as you can, without the thirst spreading fully down your throat."

"So when is the test over?" Emmett asked.

"This isn't a test," Carlisle answered. "And neither is it a contest between the two of you," he added, waiting for each of us to nod in agreement. "When we did the blood challenges before, the purpose was to help you, Emmett, begin to learn control over your instincts. But this time, the purpose is desensitization. I don't expect either of you to come in visual range of my location, because, like I said, I want you to hold your position as soon as the thirst begins to deepen. I don't want either of you pushing yourself past the point of minimal discomfort. I'll keep the blood at a human body temperature for as long as I can, and we'll repeat the process again another day. The idea is to slowly desensitize yourselves, and for you to be able to stand closer and closer to body-temperature blood with a minimal amount of thirst and temptation."

Emmett and I nodded and began to move away, but Carlisle asked us to wait. He stared down at the pile of wood, and at the cooler for a moment. "I don't know how this is going to work," he admitted, "or that it will even work at all. We're just going to see how it goes, and I have no expectations for any kind of success or failure. I admire both you for your desire to protect the humans around you. But this is still experimental, and we're going to play it by ear. I won't have either of you suffering unnecessarily, or pushing yourselves beyond the point I described before. Is that understood?"

He was looking pointedly at me, by the end of his speech. I nodded sheepishly, and followed Emmett deeper into the forest.

_I mean it, Edward_, Carlisle thought as he began to start the fire. _I won't have you torturing yourself out there. __I still don't understand why you're so determined to do this. __But you are going to do it within the parameters I have given, or you're not going to do it at all._ _You were far too close to the blood last time, and if your instincts are engaged, you're never going to get anywhere. __So we're going to do this my way. __Agreed?_

"Agreed," I called back, rolling my eyes.

Emmett turned around. "What?"

I just shook my head, brushing past him. It irked me that Carlisle felt the need to send me that extra warning, but at least he had done it privately. And I knew he was right. This was one of those situations where I needed to trust him, and I was going to do just that. I hadn't exactly heeded his instructions during the blood challenges last year, and all it had brought me was extra doses of pain, thirst, and anger at myself.

It was going to be different this time.

When Emmett and I were far enough away, we waited in silence as I watched Carlisle prepare the blood. By the time I received his signal, both of us were already experiencing the first pangs of our thirst. We separated as per Carlisle's instructions, and I did my best to stay out of Emmett's mind after that. There was no point in trying to battle a _double_ thirst. Emmett was still fairly young, after all.

To my dismay, I wasn't able to move forward more than a few hundred feet. My only consolation was that Emmett had to move _backwards_ to cool his throat a little.

_Remind me why we're doing this again? __Oh, that's right. __Because my brother is a masochist._

I forced my attention away from my brother's mind as I inched forward, taking a deep breath. The burn grew, and my venom began to flow in earnest. But at least my instincts were calm, at this distance- I felt no urge to run and attack. If I kept moving forward, Carlisle would never find out. But I was resolved to do this the right way.

Swallowing my venom and my pride, I retreated back until the flow of venom slowed almost to a stop; about two hundred feet. I stood stock still with my eyes closed, focusing on the stagnant, throbbing pain in my throat as I took shallow, even breaths.

I could do this. Even if I wasn't able to take another step forward today, I would take one eventually. And another, and another, until the monster within me was encased in the steel grip of my will. I would never be rid of him, but I would be damned if I was going to let him run my life any longer.

I inhaled again, gritting my teeth as I moved forward, just half an inch.

This was war, and I was going to win.

* * *

**That's it for the main part of the story. It was kind of a weird way to end things, but I wanted us to get a glimpse into Edward's growing awe of Carlisle and how it relates directly to his own maturity, both as a person and as a vegetarian vampire. And I do love the blood challenges. One of my favorite things about Twilight is that except for the fantasy element of the existence of vampires (and werewolves), it's actually more science fiction than fantasy, in my opinion. I can't imagine the Cullens living through the twentieth century without at least thinking about scientific ways to try desensitize themselves a bit.**

**Epilogue coming up soon!**


	9. Epilogue Part 1: New Direction

**Thank you all again for your wonderful reviews! 1936 is officially winding down, and I've been pleasantly surprised at how it's turned out. The wolves were a blast and we had a lot of family stuff, as well. This is the first part of a two-chapter Epilogue, both set in 1940.**

**Thank you to ColdOnePaul for his ideas/help with this chapter!**

**Note: There are two italicized paragraphs in the first section that quote directly from FDR's Fireside Chat _On National_****_ Defense_, which aired on the date shown directly below.**

* * *

**May 26, 1940**

It was Sunday evening, and we were doing what every family in America was doing tonight: sitting in our living room, listening to President Roosevelt's Fireside Chat. If there was anyone in the country who hadn't been tuning in before now, the title given out for this one would surely get their attention: _On National Defense._

He had begun these radio addresses back in 1933, and had continued them on occasion. They hadn't really interested us, being for the most part concerned with the economy, national programs, party, etc. They had certainly brought millions of human Americans comfort and assurance during the Great Depression. But the human world was once again throwing itself into turmoil. The lingering echoes of the Great War had never truly faded, and now things were deteriorating quickly in Europe again. Bombs were falling, people were dying, and names like Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin were echoing in every mind I came across.

I felt like a fool for ever having thought of Aro as a tyrant; he was a kitten compared to these men. I idly wondered what he thought of Fascism... and hoped he wasn't getting any ideas.

Much of the northern hemisphere was in a state of chaos. Jews in Eastern Europe were having their rights taken away weekly now. There were whispers about mass executions in Poland. Stalin was somehow managing to crush his own people, while simultaneously gathering up nation after nation, bulking up his power as he went. He had helped Hitler crush Poland last year, and between the two men, Eastern Europe was quickly being devoured. Stalin was now making overtures of friendship with Japan, in an effort to keep the majority of his strength focused on the European theatre. Japan was stirring up trouble of its own in China, and the United States was quickly losing patience, replacing it with trepidation. But this week, most of the world's attention was on Western Europe.

Last month, Germany had invaded Denmark and Norway. Two and a half weeks ago, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France had been next. The Netherlands were already lost, and Belgium was expected to surrender unconditionally sometime this week. France was still being torn to ribbons, but fighting hard. But it would soon fall, as well- Mussolini had fully committed Italy as an Axis power and was cheerfully helping with the invasion. And then what? Would Hitler turn his eye to Britain? And what about Stalin? Would the Soviet Union achieve its peace with Japan, and what would that mean for the United States? The world was holding its breath to see what would happen next, and those who had clung to the ideal of America burying her head in the sand were finally forced to admit what fools they had been.

The future, and America's role in that future, was a worrying topic. So tonight, the whole country sat in its collective living room and waited for the President's assurance that everything would be all right.

But we weren't going to get it.

"It's about to start," Carlisle murmured, and Rosalie came in from the garage, joining the rest of us as we waited. FDR's voice came through, commanding and yet compelling in its warmth.

_At this moment of sadness throughout most of the world, I want to talk with you about a number of subjects that directly affect the future of the United States. We are shocked by the almost incredible eyewitness stories that come to us, stories of what is happening at this moment to the civilian populations of Norway and Holland and Belgium and Luxembourg and France._

_I think it is right on this Sabbath evening that I should say a word in behalf of women and children and old men who need help - immediate help in their present distress - help from us across the seas, help from us who are still free to give it._

We listened in grim silence as he went on to describe the horrible events that taking place right now, even as we sat and listened about them.

Emmett barked out a laugh when FDR begged everyone listening to donate to their local chapter of the Red Cross. Carlisle gave him a disapproving frown, and Rosalie smacked him so hard he fell off the couch.

"He was talking about money, Emmett, not blood."

"Still, you gotta-"

"SSHH!" we all hissed. Emmett raised his hands in apology and we listened on as the President continued his update on what he had once called "The War in Europe". Tonight, it was "the approaching storm".

This was no longer a conflict that could be comfortably held at arm's length. This was a World War. _Another_ one. I had been mostly aloof, growing up during the Great War. Without actually knowing too many details, I had assigned most of my hopes and attention to the glory and heroism that I would soon bring to my country, by becoming a soldier. But this time, I just sat with my family, listening in horror as the human world did its best to devour itself, and the rapacious ideologies of a few tyrants crushed all sorts of freedoms under their boots.

America would not be caught unprepared in the approaching storm; that was the theme of tonight's Chat. The President went on to detail the sweeping improvements that were being made to the Army and the Navy. Production of the implements of war was a booming industry, and it would be booming further in the coming weeks. But war was not being declared; it was not even mentioned.

As the President moved on to discuss social issues and economic considerations, Carlisle leaned forward in his chair, steepling his fingers to his lips as his thoughts moved closer to home, toward England.

Once France fell, there would be no guarantees. My father's homeland would be next in Hitler's sights, and he was still thirsty.

**September 7**

I graduated high school again, and summer came and went without ceremony. We were planning to stay for another year, at most, so I had decided not to go to college this time. I did, however, begin a correspondence course in Mathematics.

It was a Saturday evening, and I had spent most of the day up in the mountains, hunting alone. I had purposely gone when I wasn't too thirsty, and had had the time of my life wandering through the northernmost part of the forest, tracking my prey at a leisurely pace and observing their habits. I didn't think I would ever be interested enough to study zoology in earnest, but I did enjoy these impromptu "studies" from time to time.

Before heading home, I spent an hour or two perched in the highest branches of a gigantic spruce, closing my eyes and listening to the sounds of the rainforest, as it throbbed with life in late summer. Our four years here had been wonderful, and I was even more in love with the climate, and the landscape, than when we had first arrived. The land here was so _alive_, and so beautiful. In our previous homes, I hadn't spent much time in the wilderness, other than to hunt. This was the first place where I had actually made a habit of enjoying the nature for itself- sometimes for days at a time, alone. The absence of thoughts was always soothing, and breathing in the damp richness of the woods around me, along with its thousands of native species, made it easy to forget that I wasn't alive, myself. And the hunting here… amazing. It wasn't quite as stocked as it had been in the beginning, since the Elk moratorium had been lifted. But half the fun of hunting was the pursuit, anyway. I had been ridiculously spoiled these past four years with a steady diet of my favorite prey. But in addition to the cougars, I also had developed a liking for bobcat, and surprisingly, Roosevelt Elk. I supposed that even those humans who preferred red meat at every meal tended to enjoy a salad from time to time. I had had elk before, in our other locations, but they had never been _this_ good.

Carlisle and Esme had enjoyed our time here, as well. After he had overcome the initial challenges of having a day job, and the awkwardness with the wolves, my father had thrown himself eagerly into his unusual role as the lone physician in an American frontier. He had brought the hospital as up to date as he could, eventually getting the Board to approve the addition of a children's ward. He had run three safety clinics for the logging companies, kicked off the fundraising for a permanent medical clinic in Forks, and even established an anonymous scholarship for local students interested in attending medical or nursing school. Esme's touch was everywhere at the hospital, as well. What had previously been a barren, ugly building was now a bustling, warm hospital, complete with quiet music, regular volunteers, colorful décor, and what had to be the most adorable children's ward in the entire state.

Rosalie and Emmett loved it here too, though most of their attention was still on each other. Their newlywed enthusiasm had begun- just barely- to slow down, and by some miracle, their cabin was still standing. Emmett, having graduated a year earlier than me, had begun a correspondence course of his own, and was already halfway to a degree in U.S. History. Rosalie still spent all her alone time ensconced in her garage, restoring the Rolls-Royce to its former glory, and beyond. She was a miracle-worker.

The wolves hadn't even been a problem- in fact, we had never heard from them once since the night we made the treaty. There was only one dark spot in our time here, and that was my continued failure with the blood challenges. Carlisle wouldn't have called it a failure, of course- I had made _some_ progress. But it had been painstakingly slow, and even Emmett had passed me in less than a year. I still couldn't comprehend what the problem was, and neither could Carlisle. We even had Emmett stop doing the challenges with me – much to his relief- in hopes that by taking his mind, and his thirst, out of the equation, that I would do better. But it hadn't worked.

I had a theory- that it was somehow due to my years away, and my indulgence in human blood at the time. It wasn't that Emmett hadn't drunk human blood, in his early days, but he had never been on a steady diet, like I had. It was possible that I had permanently ruined my chances at ever coming close to my father's own level of control. I didn't share this theory with him, though- I had no wish to reopen our debate from '35. Besides, there wasn't anything he could do about it. We still did the blood challenges from time to time, but they were getting fewer and fewer. Even Carlisle had to admit that we really weren't getting anywhere. And he hated causing me any kind of pain. The challenges themselves weren't painful anymore, because he had changed the rules last year. I now had to stand even farther away, to the point where I felt a mild ache in my throat but absolutely no venom flow. So it was physically easier, but Carlisle wasn't blind to my building impatience and disgust with myself- and he didn't like contributing to it.

I tried not to be too frustrated, but it was difficult. With each year that passed, I watched my dream of attending medical school slipping farther away. Still, there were other benefits to the small amount of desensitization I had achieved. I was calmer in general now than I had been four years ago, and though I still had quite a temper- especially around my sister- I had fewer outbursts than before. I certainly hadn't broken any phone booths in a while, and Emmett had accused me of getting boring more than once. Whether this was due to the fact that I was four years older, or the blood challenges, I would never know. It wasn't what I had hoped for, but I was grateful nonetheless for the time that Carlisle and I had spent trying, and for the extra inch of humanity it had given me.

I headed home when the shadows began to lengthen. The house was quiet; Emmett and Rosalie were off in their cabin, as usual, and Esme was still at the hospital, reading her Saturday Bedtime Stories to the five or so children staying in the hospital tonight.

I found Carlisle sitting on the roof.

This was never a good sign, and his mind was strangely blank. He wasn't blocking me out; he was simply _blank._ I leapt up beside him, waiting nervously for him to speak as he continued to stare at the sunset in frozen silence. I knew it wasn't an emergency involving Emmett or the wolves- if it was, we would already be packing. Still, I had never seen him like this before. After three interminable seconds had passed, I couldn't stand it anymore, and cleared my throat loudly.

He stirred to life, turning to look at me with confusion in his eyes. "It's begun," he whispered. "They're bombing London." He gave me a rushed mental playback of the radio report he had just heard. _What's this world coming to, Edward?_

It wasn't the sort of question that wanted to be answered, and certainly not by someone as young as me. I sat with him in silence as he tried to picture the street he had grown up on, pitted with craters and choked with fire and smoke. He wondered if the church would survive the bombing. He wondered if Nazi combat boots would soon trample his father's grave. He wondered if his homeland, which hadn't truly been invaded for centuries, was finally about to fall.

"I didn't know you cared so much about the Old World," I said, using the term he sometimes used in his thoughts. "I hardly ever see you thinking about London, or your human past, or any of it."

"I usually don't," he admitted. "But in times like this, a man can't help but... I mean, imagine if it was Chicago. Wouldn't you feel something, if that were the case?"

I tried to picture it. I tried to picture my parent's house, flattened to a charred ruin by a German bomb. I tried to remember the faces of my friends- it was so long ago. I tried to comprehend the possibility of the American flag outside my old school, replaced with a swastika on a field of blood-red. As fuzzy as the memories were, the ice that formed around my dead heart felt real enough.

"Yes," I said simply. "I would. But you don't really think it will come to that, do you?" I could picture Britain being overcome, but not the United States. It didn't seem possible.

"It has already _come to that_, son," he said tiredly. "For millions of people in Europe it has already come to that. For some, in other parts of the world, it's _always_ been like that. There are some people, Edward, that live their entire lives without a single taste of the freedom that we possess here. The world is a dark place, sometimes. Even without men like Adolf Hitler."

I thought about reminding him that these were human problems, but it didn't seem to be the time.

"But that's why you came here," I reminded him. "To the New World. And besides, America will have to enter the war eventually."

_Yes, but how long will she wait? And how long will she stand? The Germans aren't the only threat. And if England falls as quickly as France did…_

For half a second, I wondered if all of Carlisle's fellow colonists were as shaken by the news tonight as he was. Then I remembered, feeling foolish, that he was the only one left. Of course, there was Garrett.

Garrett was one of the few nomads that Carlisle had encountered since his arrival in the American colonies- he had first run into him in Yorktown, during the Revolutionary War. I had never met any of my father's friends yet, but I remembered that Garrett had fought against the British redcoats, in his human days. I wondered if he was throwing a party tonight, or on his way to single-handedly fight the Nazis. From what little I had seen of him in Carlisle's mind, I could easily picture either one. He sounded like a fascinating person.

"I wonder what Garrett thinks of all this," I said aloud, hoping to snap Carlisle out of his gloom. It worked perfectly.

"Garrett!" he said with a smile. "I haven't thought about him in years. I wonder what he's up to? I wonder what all of them are up to?" _I can't believe I've never introduced my family to any of my nomad friends. When did I become so settled?_

I snorted a laugh. "You're joking, right? We've moved five times in the past ten years!"

Carlisle finally unwound himself, reclining back on the apex of the roof and laying his head on his laced fingers, staring thoughtfully up at the emerging stars. "We've moved, yes, but we haven't really _traveled_. It's been so long…" _Too long. I don't want all of you growing up, thinking that-_ He caught himself with a smile. _I want you all to see some of the things that I have seen. Yes, I think it would do all of us some good to take a vacation._

What he meant was, it would do _me_ some good. He was picturing the frustrated look I had often sported over these past four years- usually for the few days following our blood challenges. He was thinking now that it was worse every time. I wasn't offended, though- not too much. It would do him good, too. From the growing excitement in his thoughts, I could tell that this was exactly what he needed. I was sure that men all over America were feeling the same way tonight- though not on their rooftops- but how many of them had the freedom to pick up their family and travel the world, safely away from bombs and human suffering?

"How long a vacation?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged. "I don't know. We'd better talk to the others before we make any plans, hadn't we?"

His words filled me with pride. I liked being up here with Carlisle, thinking over family decisions together. It was like it had been in the beginning, just me and him.

Father and son.

.

.

.

When everyone was back together in the house the next morning, Carlisle announced his idea, and it was well-received.

"Of course, we'd be avoiding any war zones, and Europe in general," he qualified. "But other than that, I'm open to suggestions. There are a few friends I'd like to see, but we could also do some different kinds of hunting, in different climates."

"The Amazon!" Emmett said excitedly.

"The African jungle," I added with equal enthusiasm. Now that I thought about it, I would love to try _real_ lion.

"Our island," Esme murmured, slipping her hand up to touch Carlisle's elbow. "Just you and me, for that part."

We all smiled, watching our parents. It made sense, of course- they had been married almost twenty years, and other than their brief honeymoon on Isle Esme, they had never once travelled alone together. It was long overdue, by any count.

Carlisle was speechless. His mind flew through vivid memories of their first visit to the island.

I shuddered. "Moving on, _please_." Carlisle looked appropriately sorry, and Esme just giggled, her face turned into Carlisle's shoulder.

"I think that's a great idea," Rosalie said. "You two deserve it. That's so _romantic_, having a second honeymoon. Come to think of it, I've never even had a first one." She nudged Emmett with her elbow, looking hopeful.

"That's debatable," I coughed. Emmett just waggled his eyebrows and thought about-

"All right!" I said loudly. "Let's get back on topic. Carlisle and Esme will go to the island, and you two will go somewhere else, and…" I stopped abruptly. What was _I_ going to do?

"Let's not do it that way," Esme said quickly. "We might be traveling for a while, so there's no rush to all separate at once."

"Agreed," Carlisle said, trying not to look at me. Even Rosalie- _Rosalie!_\- was looking at me with soft eyes and pitying thoughts.

I hated it when they did this. Just because I didn't have a mate didn't mean that there was anything wrong with me, or that I needed anyone to change their travel plans in a misguided effort to avoid hurting my feelings. And I couldn't _stand_ being pitied.

"I'm perfectly capable of enjoying myself alone," I said, as smoothly as I could.

"It's not that," Carlisle said carefully. "It's just that the world is rather uncertain just now, and I don't think it's the time for us to all be running off in different directions."

"It's a human war," Emmett protested. "What do we care if they want to blow each other up?"

"I'm not entirely sure that a vampire wouldn't be killed by an exploding bomb," Carlisle answered. "But it's more than that. Human wars have a way of bringing out the worst in our kind, as well. Battlefields- whether they are military or civilian- have a way of stirring up the nomad populations everywhere, and it's also during wartimes that a lot of newborns get made by accident."

"Like Garrett," I put in.

"Exactly. I don't feel that we're in any sort of imminent danger, as long as we stay away from Europe, but I'd feel more comfortable if we didn't all split up. Besides, it's a family vacation. Perhaps we could make an extended stay in Brazil at some point. Esme and I could spend a couple of weeks on the island, and then, Emmett, you and Rosalie could have a turn, as well. That way we'll be able to all stay close to one another."

Emmett grinned and nodded. _Excellent! Whales, nothing. I'm hunting SHARKS._

"Sharks?" I asked, amused. Everyone but Rosalie laughed. She wasn't too happy with Carlisle's Brazil plan, but she decided to think about it later- when I wasn't around, no doubt.

"Oh!" Carlisle exclaimed, looking back and forth between Emmett and me. "I had forgotten about your courses. It would be quite difficult to continue your studies without a permanent address. Perhaps we should…"

I waved my hand dismissively. "I can do it another time- it's just mathematics, after all. Nothing is going to change in the next few years. It was more of a hobby, anyway. Emmett?"

"Course shmourse," he said, thinking of sharks and gorillas. "Let's get going."

"_Gorillas_?" I echoed incredulously, setting off another round of laughter- fortunately, Rosalie joined in this time.

"It's settled, then," Carlisle said happily. "I'll give my notice at the hospital tomorrow, and we'll put the house up for sale."

"Why?" Esme asked. "We've held onto houses before." _I love it here._

"I don't think we'll be coming back here anytime soon," Carlisle said sadly. "Things have gone quite well with the wolves these past four years, but I doubt if our _returning_ to the area would be taken kindly."

"But I like it here," Rosalie argued. "I mean, we _all_ like it here, right? Couldn't we come back in a century or so?" _Maybe those mangy dogs will die out._

"Possibly," Carlisle answered. "But possibly not. At any rate, I think it will make the wolves feel better if they see us sell the house."

"Who cares what they think?" Emmett growled. He still hadn't forgiven them for biting Rosalie.

"Emmett," Esme murmured in disapproval.

Emmett quieted, but grinned to himself as he imagined us cutting through Quileute land on our way to our "vacation", and diving into the Pacific from First Beach.

"That's about the dumbest idea I think you've ever come up with," I snapped.

"It was a _joke_," Emmett said defensively. _What's the matter with you?_

"Sorry," I sighed. "I guess I'm a little sad to be leaving the Peninsula, too."

_So what you're saying is, that you and Rosalie agree on something?_

"I-"

Rosalie interrupted us with a gasp. "Wait a minute! Wait, wait, wait! What about the Rolls-Royce?" _My baby! It's not even finished!_

"I hadn't thought of that," Carlisle admitted. "We could put it into storage somewhere-"

"_Storage_?" Rosalie echoed in disgust.

"And you and I have fairly new cars," I pointed out to Carlisle. "It would be kind of a shame to sell them, wouldn't it?"

"Well… I guess we could do what human families do in this situation," he mused.

"What's that?" Esme asked.

"Dump them on our relatives," he said cheerfully.

I sighed in defeat. "You can't mean…"

"I do," he replied. "Let's drive everything up to Denali and visit for a while. It'll be a nice way to start our travels."

Emmett punched me in the shoulder. "It'll be fun, Eddie." _Polar bears!_ "And just think, you'll get to see Tanya again!" _Ha ha ha!_

"You know she misses you," Rosalie added with a smirk.

"I know," I moaned, and everyone started laughing again.

* * *

**Coming up next: Denali and the Amazon, and then on to 1950 !**


	10. Epilogue Part 2: North

**I ended up dividing the Epilogue further, so this chapter is all about the visit to Alaska, because it ended up so long. And I really wanted to end it at the moment when we get a sighting of a rare creature: a very happy Edward :) **

**Thanks to ColdOnePaul for the Draft idea, and also to Robin deLynn for her story, ****_What Others Cannot _****_Do_****, from which I got some of the telepathy-related ideas. It's a great read and a fascinating look into Edward's early years as a vampire and a telepath. **

* * *

We sold the house in record time, and Carlisle donated all of the money to the Red Cross in Seattle… anonymously, of course. In less than four weeks, we were on the road, driving through British Columbia in a caravan. I was alone in my car, enjoying the silence that would soon be shattered when we arrived in Denali. And it was rather nice seeing the Rolls-Royce in action, right in front of me. Besides, I had a feeling that if I was in the same car as Emmett, he would be teasing me for hours on end about Tanya.

I was determined not to let her get to me this time. I would, at all costs, stay out of her head from the very beginning, and I _would_ be unfailingly polite. I was perfectly capable of spending a relaxing week with my extended family without losing my mind.

Still, it was a relief to _not_ hear her thoughts among the others when we pulled up to their house. It looked just about the same as it had back in 1919: a sprawling four-thousand-square foot rancher, nestled in the dip between Mt. Foraker and Mt. Hunter. It was high up enough that humans were scarce, and low enough that they enjoyed 360 degrees of breathtaking mountain landscape. I inhaled deeply as I exited my car, taking in the crisp, cold air and the unique scents of the Denali wilderness.

The front door opened, and Eleazar, Carmen, Kate and Irina materialized in front of us.

"Carlisle!" Eleazar cried, crushing my father in a light-speed embrace. "What a terrific surprise! What brings you to Alaska?"

There was a buzz of conversation and thoughts as everyone exchanged greetings and hugs. Irina was much friendlier to me this time, and I responded in kind.

"We're actually just passing through," Carlisle said when the chatter died down. "Though we'd like to stay for a few days, if that's all right."

"Of course!" Carmen said warmly. "We haven't seen another vampire since the wedding. This is delightful! Come inside and get warm!"

We all laughed at her human invitation, and went inside. "I suppose I've gotten in the habit of saying that," Carmen said, laughing at herself. "We do have human visitors from time to time- hikers, mostly. We've set aside two rooms just for those who are passing through, and need a break from the weather, or the slopes."

"That's kind of you," Carlisle said. "I'd like to see those rooms."

We went straight to the rooms in question. One was a combined bedroom and sitting room, and the adjacent room was equipped with a kitchenette, writing desk and a comfortable-looking couch, positioned next to a beautiful radio. Across from the couch on the far wall was a long shelf groaning under a load of books. Lining the walls were pinned-up maps, artwork and breathtaking photographs of the local landscape and wildlife- Kate's handiwork, no doubt.

Rosalie wrinkled their nose. "You let them cook in your house?" she asked distastefully.

"Yes," Kate answered. "Though it isn't often that we have anyone. I doubt we will while you're here, anyway. It's just cold enough that no one wants to hike anymore, but not snowy enough for skiers yet."

Esme tugged on Carlisle's sleeve. "Isn't this the best idea? We should do something like this at our next house."

"I don't know, sweetheart," Carlisle laughed. "Just imagine our house smelling like _food_."

"I cook sometimes," Esme protested.

"Ugh! Why?" Kate asked, matching Rosalie's repulsed expression.

"Oh, various things. For the children at the hospital, mainly, or for fundraisers. Sometimes the children have bake sales at their school."

Irina laughed- a beautiful sound, now that she was in a good mood. "You're so _human_ sometimes, Esme."

"Hey, you're the vampires having humans over for dinner," Emmett pointed out. "They're just lucky they're not on the menu!"

Eleazar looked appalled. "We would _never_-"

"Joke," Emmett muttered.

"Oh, this was Tanya's idea," Kate said dismissively. "She said we need to be friendlier, whatever that means."

Carlisle sniffed the air curiously. "Where _is_ Tanya, anyway?"

Irina and Kate glanced at each other, smothering their giggles. Kate was the first one to straighten her face. "She's, um, _out_."

Carlisle was sorry he had asked. I was _thrilled_. Maybe she would be out the rest of the week!

.

.

.

I wasn't so lucky. Eleazar took us for a brief tour of their section of the wilderness, and when we got back, Tanya was perched on the roof, replacing a broken section of metal sheeting. When we came into view, she jumped right off the roof, landing in perfect gymnastic form.

"Hello, everyone!" she called as she ran toward us. There was another flurry of conversation and hugs, ending with me… of course.

"I've missed you," she whispered in my ear, and I smiled around my clenched teeth, pulled away before she could kiss my ear, as well. I couldn't fully avoid her mind, I realized, or I wouldn't be able to dodge these surprise attacks.

"Hello, cousin," I said politely. She favored me with a delicate smirk and flicked her hair toward me as she spun to face Carlisle and Esme.

"So! Are you moving in with us?" she asked, pointing curiously to the caravan of vehicles parked out front.

_Now there's an interesting idea._"Not quite," Carlisle laughed. "This is the first stop in our world tour. We're going to do some traveling, and try to look up some old friends."

He went on to explain our plans, and I watched him with relief. Carlisle already looked so _relaxed_. I realized now how much tension had been building in his mind since the War had begun last fall. This was definitely the right thing to do.

"And we'll be avoiding war zones, of course," Carlisle was saying.

"Well, you might not want to stay here, then," Tanya sighed. "The Japanese Navy has had its eye on the Aleutian islands for a while now."

"This is the first I've heard of it," Carlisle said with a frown.

Tanya smirked at him, and I recoiled from her mind again as memories of last night's adventure flashed across it. "I have… friends in the military," she said coyly.

"Ours or theirs?"

She shrugged, and I saw another memory, this time of her swimming in the ocean. "Both."

Eleazar looked at his coven leader with pride in his eyes. "Tanya fancies herself an undercover operative, though I don't see what she plans to do with the information."

"Keep our coven safe, of course," she answered smugly. "Our President may be doing his best to ignore Japan's appetite for Pacific conquest, but that doesn't mean that we need to be sitting ducks when Alaska gets invaded. Bombs can fall on the immortal, as well as the mortal."

"They're planning to invade _Alaska_?" Carlisle asked doubtfully. "I wasn't aware that they were getting that aggressive."

"Well… I may be jumping the gun on that one. But remember, Alaska is just a territory. We're not nearly protected enough, and the islands would make a lovely port for the Japanese Navy."

Carlisle shook his head. "But there's been no formal enmity between us and Japan. They would never risk-"

Tanya snorted, cutting off his argument with a wave of her hand. "Please! Didn't you hear about the Tripartite Pact, or are you already that disconnected?"

"No, we read about it the other day," Carlisle admitted.

Britain was still standing strong, but the bad news now was that last week in Berlin, a three-way Pact had been signed by Japan, Germany and Italy, establishing a bond of friendship and mutual support. The Pact meant that each of these "Axis" powers recognized each other's supremacy in their respective areas of the world, and would support said supremacy when required. Japan had essentially been given the green light to take the Pacific under its protective wing… and its heel. The whole world was holding its breath to see whether the Soviet Union would join the pact next. If it did, the future was going to be very bleak.

Tanya nodded. "So, you can see why we need to take Japan more seriously. Especially those of us that are this close."

"Maybe after this is over, Washington will realize Alaska's importance as more than just a gold mine," Eleazar muttered. "We might actually achieve statehood someday."

"You mean you guys live here all the time?" Emmett asked. "You don't move around, like us?"

"We don't need to," Irina said. "We don't fraternize with humans nearly as much as you all do."

"And we like it that way," Kate said with a grin. "Besides, there are enough of us that we just sell the house to each other every forty years or so. Nobody knows that we're all living here, or that we're all the same age."

"That's clever," Rosalie admitted. _I can't imagine hiding from the humans completely. __How dull that would be!_

"And here you are," Eleazar announced to Carlisle, "becoming nomads! You've always been migratory, Carlisle, but this is quite a change for you."

"I just think it's time to take a vacation," Carlisle said honestly. "It's been a while since I've travelled, and the others haven't really gotten to see the world yet. And as of last month, Emmett, Edward and myself are at risk of getting drafted, if we lived anywhere permanently."

I hadn't thought of _that_. It was quite ironic, considering my goals when I first turned seventeen. Now here I was, a war later, dodging the Draft with the rest of my immortal family. It would have been rather funny if we were obliged to disappear overnight for _that_ reason. Very human.

Esme asked if she could see the rest of the house, trying not to think about how upset and distracted she had been the last time she was here. She and Rosalie were whisked away by the other women, and we men were left alone, with a paper on the desk fluttering down to the floor from the wind of their sudden exit.

"That only happens when we're around _you_, you know," Eleazar laughed. "I have this sudden urge to hand out cigars and pass the brandy."

Emmett grinned, meeting my eyes. _This guy is still bizarre, Eddie._

"Edward," I sighed.

"Whatever."

"So, cousin," Carlisle began as he leaned against the wall like a human, "What have you been up to these five years?"

Eleazar shrugged. "The usual. Oh! I started a new company. Mail order carvings, usually Alaskan scenery. There's one."

He pointed to the back wall of the miniature living room. Hanging over the radio was a slice of tree trunk- some sort of spruce- that had been delicately carved into a mountain view of the Denali range in the background, forest in the middle layer, and a moose grazing in the foreground.

Carlisle crossed the room and ran his fingers gently over the wood. "Remarkable," he breathed. "Such delicacy must be difficult, even with tools."

Eleazar chuckled. "Says the vampire surgeon. It's yours, if you want it."

"Thank you. Maybe I'll get it on our way back, when we're about to settle again. We'd like to travel light."

"Doesn't driving a caravan of vehicles sort of defeat the purpose?"

Carlisle grinned sheepishly. "About that. We were wondering if we might leave them here for a while, if you have room? You could use them, of course."

"Why not? Our garage has room for three more. And was that '25 Phantom I saw?"

"Yes," I said reverently. "Emmett and I found it in a junk heap, if you can believe that. Rosalie has been restoring it- that's her hobby."

Eleazar raised his eyebrows in surprise. The last time we had seen our cousin, their visit had only been a flurry of wedding details and construction. "The lovely Rosalie, a mechanic? I never would have guessed. But what about you, young Edward? What have you been doing with yourself while you've been in Washington?"

"Going to high school," I said glumly.

"Ah. My condolences."

"Hey, high school isn't all boring," Emmett said. "Especially when you've got werewolves breathing down your neck!"

Eleazar's eyes widened. "Yes! Your father sent us a note about that, but all he said was that there were werewolves were on the western edge of the Peninsula, and that if we ever visited, we would need to come from the East. We've been in suspense for four years now, waiting to hear all about it!"

Carlisle told the story. Eleazar, in his turn, agreed with us that the Quileute werewolves were quite unlike the ones that Caius loved persecuting.

"Not that I've ever seen one," he admitted in disappointment. "I think he's hunted them to near extinction. Amazing, though. You all have had quite an adventure down in Washington State. Nothing interesting ever happens _here_."

I waited to see if Eleazar's mind would turn to Volterra with longing, but it didn't. In fact, he was thinking about how nice it was to live in peace and freedom. It seemed that Carlisle's theory was proving correct: if there had been a supernatural "renewal" of his loyalty fourteen years ago, it was fading fast.

"Of course, Edward's had more fun than any of us," Emmett announced. "Tell him about the blood challenges, bro."

"I would hardly call that _fun_," I shot back in annoyance. Did he really have to bring that up in front of our extended family?

"Okay, you've got me curious," Eleazar said. "What's a blood challenge?" He was trying to come up with a picture, but he was at a loss.

Carlisle glanced at me. _I wasn't going to say anything, but now that he's interested, he might be able to help us. __Do you mind?_

I shook my head. As awkward as it was, I was open to ideas. I would try anything at this point, though I didn't see how Eleazar would be able to help. His own control wasn't as strong as the sisters', or Carlisle's. It really was impressive that he allowed humans to be in their house at all. Of course, Tanya was really the coven leader, and it had been her idea.

Carlisle took us back to '35, and the original purpose of the challenges. He gave a brief summary of our efforts up until now, including the embarrassing fact that Emmett had somehow managed to surpass me before long. He finished with the perplexing mystery of my continued failure… or _difficulty_, as he so kindly put it.

Eleazar he looked up at me when the tale was done. "I think I can see what the problem is, cousin. You're struggling because you're a telepath."

"I'm aware of that," I said drily. "I've been reading minds for a while now."

"No, I said a _telepath_," he clarified. "Mind reading is the most obvious manifestation of your gift, but it's only part of it."

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked.

Eleazar began pacing the small room, scratching his head in concentration. "I mean that _thoughts_ aren't the only thing coming through. Edward, what's going on in my mind right now?"

"You're thinking about the blood challenges, and you're trying to picture what they might look like. You're also thinking about Carmen like you always do, and you're also wondering if I'm going to answer your question correctly."

"What else?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everything!" he answered impatiently. "Go beyond my conscious thoughts. What sensations is my brain processing?"

"Okay… you're thirsty, but not terribly so."

"What else?" he demanded. "Relax your gift fully, Edward. Inhabit my mind with your own."

I relaxed the muscle of my gift as much as I could, letting myself drift fully into his brain. "Your sense of smell is processing all of our scents, as well as the scent of the human who was in this room last."

"And my own scent, and those of my family. More!"

I tilted my head, closing my eyes in concentration. "You're feeling the floor pressing up into your shoes. You're feeling the slide of the fabric of your clothes every time you take a step. You're feeling the weight of your watch on your left hand. You're subconsciously slowing your pacing each time you approach a wall. You're feeling the wind caused by the pacing. You're pleased with my last five sentences. You're…"

"What?"

"What was that?" I asked, opening my eyes. "Something flared up in your mind just now, but I couldn't put my finger on it."

"That was my gift, responding to the extra effort in your own," he explained. "Really, Edward, this is what I _do_. Now pay attention. Your gift is capable of processing thoughts on many layers, but also physical sensations, and the mental and physical responses to those sensations. Carlisle, don't you remember the first time you brought him here, as a newborn? The little experiment that you two did with Kate?"

Carlisle shivered at the memory. He had been curious, were Kate to shock him, whether I would feel the pain through my gift or not. And I had, to a very small extent. He nodded.

"And Edward, didn't you tell me back then that your own thirst is sometimes magnified when Carlisle himself goes too long without hunting?"

"Well… yes, but in both those cases, it was an echo of what Carlisle himself was feeling, and I was usually able to block it out. There's a degradation in the transfer-"

Eleazar threw up his hands, pacing faster. "Echoes! Degradation! Stop thinking like a human, cousin! Your brain operates at one hundred percent efficiency now, and your gift is more than capable of receiving every signal that someone else's brain is putting off. In fact, your gift is so passive that you can't _help_ but receive every nearby signal. The only reason you had to concentrate to find those deeper processes a moment ago is that your conscious mind is so used to filtering out meaningless data like that."

"What do you mean, 'passive'?" Carlisle asked.

"I mean that in its natural state, Edward's gift is fully engaged. It takes effort for him to _not_ hear everything coming out of a nearby mind- especially those first two or three layers of conscious thought. Kate, by contrast, has an active gift. She isn't electrocuting someone unless she makes the effort to turn her gift _on_. Edward's gift is always on, and his trouble is turning it _off_."

I nodded slowly. This all made sense, but… "Okay, but still, the example of Kate's gift just shows how much is lost between two minds," I argued, thinking of our experiment years ago. "I only felt an echo of the pain that Carlisle did, remember? And nothing the second time, when I blocked his mind."

"Well…" Eleazar thought for a moment. "That's true. But I'll bet you were blocking it the first time, more than you knew- your subconscious knew that pain was coming, and tensed your gift against it without you knowing. But I suspect the real problem was that Kate's gift is psychic, not physical. Your mind-which as I said, was probably already blocking what it could- was only receiving what Carlisle's mind _believed_ was electrocuting pain. If he had been experiencing real physical injury, I'd bet that you would have felt more of it. If someone were to do _this_, for example…"

Before any of us could react, Eleazar brought his forearm to his mouth and bit down, groaning a little in pain as he twisted his arm against his own teeth. We all jumped back in shock, and I felt the briefest flicker of pain in my arm before it faded to nothing.

"No!" Eleazar shouted, still wincing in pain. "Don't block it! Relax everything."

I closed my eyes, willing my gift to connect our minds fully. The pain in my arm began to grow, and my other hand flew up to meet the pain, surprised to find the skin unbroken.

"Ow," I growled, and my gift tensed against Eleazar's mind again- shying away instinctively from the pain, just as he had said. The pain was gone in less than a quarter of a second. Eleazar's wound was just beginning to heal now, and Carlisle grabbed the arm, frowning at the damage.

"You're going to have a nasty scar," he sighed.

"No, I won't," Eleazar replied cheerfully. "It's my own venom. So, have I made my point, Edward?"

"Quite clearly," I said, rubbing my arm one last time. It made me wonder how I had ever survived the pain of my mother's and siblings' transformations- although I supposed that my mind had steeled itself against that, as well.

"So, my theory," Eleazar continued, "is that the reason you're struggling with those blood challenges is that your own thirst is being magnified by that of another vampire."

"But wouldn't my gift want to block out that, as well?" I asked.

"Quite the opposite," he said grimly. "You're a vampire, Edward. Your body _wants_ to be thirsty. Every instinct- including your gift- draws you _toward_ thirst. I would think that you would have to _decide_ to block that input, and that it would take some effort."

"Yes, I suppose I know what you mean," I said thoughtfully, remembering times when family members had been thirsty, and how I had always had to actively block those sensations.

"This is all very interesting," Carlisle said, "but we've already tried it. We took Emmett out of the equation after the second year, and there was almost no effect."

Eleazar gave him a triumphant look. "I wasn't referring to Emmett's mind, Carlisle, I was referring to _yours_."

"Me?" Carlisle said doubtfully.

"That's not possible," I said, crossing my arms. "Carlisle's control is out of this world. When I walk back to him after the blood challenges, his eyes are always as light as ever, and he hardly ever feels any thirst at all during the challenges."

"It had nothing to do with his control," Eleazar scoffed. "Control is simply a learned behavior, and Carlisle has learned it to such an extent that his hunting instincts have been conditioned to subdue themselves at the smell of human blood. It's something we all aspire to."

"Then… it's just the smell, being processed in his brain, through mine?" Carlisle asked. _Could it really be that simple?_

"The smell, the sight, the taste on the air, your thoughts about heating the blood, even your subdued reactions to the blood… when he's in range, Edward is experiencing all those things with you, and-"

"-and no matter if I'm fifty feet away, or a mile away, it's as if I'm standing right next to the blood," I finished, shaking my head in disbelief. While Carlisle always did his best not to stare at the blood during the challenges, we had never thought to have him hold _his_ breath, since he didn't seem to be sharing any thirst with me. My own thirst naturally grew more intense the closer I got, but if Eleazar was right, that was partially due to my growing proximity to _Carlisle's_ perception of the blood.

"Amazing," Carlisle breathed. "So, if Edward was to try blocking my mind, or if I was to hold my breath, we might see some different results."

"Some _vastly_ different results," Eleazar guessed. "It's my theory that Edward's control around blood is far, far, stronger than any of you realize. From the very moment he woke up, he's been dealing with your thirst-possibly even when you don't feel it yourself- and now he constantly has to deal with varying levels of thirst from _four_ vampires. And on days like this, even more! Why, I haven't fed in ten days, and his eyes are lighter than mine, even though he's standing right next to me! I don't think you appreciate, Edward, how far you had already come, _before_ the blood challenges."

Excitement shot through me at the possibility. "I want to try it, today!" I said in a rush, grabbing Carlisle's shoulder. Emmett burst out laughing.

"Don't think they keep blood in their fridge," he joked. _Man, w__here's a hiker when you need one?_

"I'd like to try it, too," Carlisle said eagerly. "Where's the nearest hospital?"

.

.

.

In the end, we decided to take Eleazar's theory to the next level. To give me the best chance possible, it was decided that _nobody_ would be in range of my gift during the challenge. Carlisle decided to "borrow" some lab equipment from the hospital, as well as the blood. The plan was for him to set up the blood over the fire, and then he would move out of my range.

Eleazar watched curiously as Carlisle set up the experiment. He got the fire going first, and then sent me away while he got the blood ready. I watched through his eyes as he set up the metal stand in the middle of the fire. He clamped the bottle onto it and adjusted the position of the clamp, allowing the blood to be suspended over the fire at just the right height.

"This challenge won't last long, without anyone here to keep the blood moving. It's going to eventually overheat and the blood cells will be destroyed. But we should have long enough to see if your theory is correct," he told Eleazar. _Edward! __After I leave, I want you to wait two minutes, and then start moving in. __We won't approach again until you call to us. __Good luck!_

After securing the bottle over the flames, Carlisle unscrewed the lid and both men ran in the opposite direction, away from me.

I was beginning at two miles out today. Most of the time, I was able to get to just within a mile before having to stop to avoid venom flow and a more intense thirst. I clenched and unclenched my hands as I waited impatiently. If this worked…

I waited the prescribed two minutes, and began to walk forward, unnerved by the silence as I moved. At this point in the challenge, Carlisle was usually sending me mental encouragement. Of course, it seemed now that he had unintentionally been sending me far more than that. I desperately hoped that Eleazar's theory would prove to be correct. If this didn't work, I didn't know what would.

The first thing I noticed was that I was able to go farther before even smelling the blood. I didn't want to get my hopes up, though- it might be that our timing was off, or that the flames had shifted direction, or the thinness of the air…

I took a deep breath, just catching the first hint of the blood on the breeze. My throat felt…

Nothing.

I moved forward another two hundred feet, and the aroma rose slightly.

Still nothing.

I was grinning hugely now, and picking up my pace. Soon I was more than halfway back to the blood, and I was just beginning to feel a tickle in my throat. It was working!

As the tickle grew into a flame, I slowed down, inching forward, pushing carefully into the thirst as it grew. When the venom started to flow, I finally stopped and waited, drawing deep, slow breaths and rolling my shoulders to relax my instincts. After another ten seconds, the burn receded a bit, and I inched forward some more.

But before I could continue, the smell suddenly took a turn toward bitterness as the blood cells began to lyse in the heat. It actually reminded me of the smell of werewolf blood, before it degraded further and started to burn.

"Carlisle! Eleazar!" I yelled, holding my position until they found me.

_Ugh! __Burning blood! __Where's Edward?_

"Here!" I called excitedly.

_That close? __That's even better than I was hoping for!_

They ran to me, and Carlisle tackled me to the ground, laughing in triumph along with me. "I knew you could do it!" he said with a huge smile.

"How far?" I asked Eleazar as I got back up. I had a guess, but I didn't really know the land here…

"You're less than a quarter mile from it," Eleazar said proudly, and I whooped with joy as they both clapped my back in congratulations.

"Incredible," Carlisle said, still smiling as he shook his head. "To think all this time, _I _was the one holding you back!" _I feel like such an idiot! _"Edward, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be," I said. "I didn't think of it either. Eleazar, I can't thank you enough!"

"My pleasure," he replied, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "It's not often I get to stretch my own gift like this. I did some work with Kate's gift, when we first arrived, but since meeting you that first time, that part of my brain has lain rather dormant lately. Thank _you_!"

"My pleasure," I said loftily, and I let myself fall down again, stretching out on my back in the grass and grinning up at the sky. This changed everything!

"Remember our bet," Carlisle said to Eleazar, who scowled back.

"What bet?" I asked.

Carlisle grinned mischievously. "I bet Eleazar that you would be able to get within at least half a mile. And the loser has to take care of the burned blood."

Eleazar sighed and headed off, muttering to himself about the dangers of betting with his elders. I didn't think I had ever seen my father make a bet of any kind before; either Emmett and I were starting to rub off on him, or he was as giddy as I was.

He sat in the grass beside me, his thoughts radiant. "I'm so, _so_ proud of you, son. Now you can be more at ease around your human peers, just like me."

I closed my eyes and savored his words.

_Just like me._


	11. Epilogue Part 3: South

**I think you will all enjoy this final chapter- it's fun, light, and LONG. Happy reading!**

* * *

Even Tanya couldn't shake my good mood when we got back to the house. Eleazar had already run home after disposing of the blood, wanting to shower the stench off.

"I hear congratulations are in order," she said from the roof; she was back to her repairs. In my excitement, I jumped right up beside her as Carlisle continued on into the house.

"Thanks," I said, handing her the next sheet of metal.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed. It probably took me thirty years to get to the point you got to today."

"There's no telling how long this would have taken, if Eleazar hadn't figured out the problem. He's the _best_."

"That he is. Although I can think of one or two other men who measure up," she said, her thoughts purring at me.

I laughed out loud, surprising her so much that her mind stopped composing the next step in her seduction.

"You _are_ in a good mood, aren't you?" She scooted closer to me, sliding her hand up onto my shoulder and beginning to pull. _Good enough to relax those Victorian trappings for once?_

"Nope!" I laughed again, ducking out of her grasp and rolling right off the roof. Tanya threw down her hammer in mock anger.

"You are _so_ frustrating, Edward Cullen!" she hissed- a human would have run, terrified, from the look on her face. But I could tell she wasn't really angry, or even close to giving up. Oh well.

I ran into the house to see if Esme and Emmett had already been informed of my success. I found Esme in the library, perched fifteen feet above me on one of the top shelves as she browsed. I leapt up onto the shelf beside her, pecking her on the cheek. "Where's Emmett? I want to- oh! They didn't tell you?"

Esme just looked at me in confusion, wondering where Eleazar, Carlisle and I had been all afternoon. "Tell me what? And where's Carlisle?"

I grinned, but before I could speak, my father entered the library as well. "Eleazar was so confident in your success this morning, that he asked everyone to keep it a secret from Esme. We thought you'd like to be the one to tell her."

Esme jumped down to the floor, and I followed. "Tell me _what_?" she repeated.

Then Eleazar appeared as well, toweling off his hair. "What, you didn't tell her yet?" he asked mischievously.

Esme turned to me and bared her teeth. I held up my hands in surrender. "All right. Guess who just got less than a _quarter_ mile away from body-temperature blood, with _no_ venom flow?"

Esme gasped and jumped into my arms, hugging me so hard the back of my shirt started to tear. "I knew you could do it! But how? You're never been anywhere near that close before!"

I set her down and the three of us told her the story. By the time we were finished, Emmett had joined us.

"Okay, since you're talking about it now, am I allowed near my mother yet?" he asked, punching me in the arm. _Nice job, bro. N__ice._

"Thanks."

"I'm so glad you don't need to do those horrible blood challenges anymore," Esme said happily. "You know I always hated seeing you put yourself through that."

I frowned at her. "What do you mean? This is only the beginning."

Esme closed her eyes. "Edward…"

"I have to agree with him," Eleazar put in. "I'm curious to see how his progress continues, now that we've figured out the problem. In fact, I think we should repeat today's experiment at least two more times- with Carlisle present in both cases, with and without holding his breath. This would allow us to measure how effective Edward's gift is at blocking the input of Carlisle's sensory-"

"Eleazar," Esme interrupted, crossing her arms, "we're all grateful for your help, but I think that Edward has already proven how advanced his control is. I don't want you putting him through useless experiments that will only cause him more pain." _I mean it, Edward. I don't want you doing this. I could never understand why you always have to do things like this to yourself. Your control is good enough! _

"It's _my_ decision, Esme," I said, my voice coming out more sharply than I had intended. "And I want to continue."

Esme looked pleadingly at Carlisle, who glanced between us, his gaze finally resting back on my face.

"It is Edward's decision," he conceded, steeling himself against Esme's disapproval. "And if you choose to continue, I will help you in any way that I can. But I'm curious as well. How far do you intend to take this? Did you have a particular goal in mind?"

I nodded, and felt the question in everyone's thoughts. I took a deep breath; now was as good a time as any. "I'd like to return to my original goal of attending medical school. Only… for _myself_ this time."

I had somewhat expected the elation that Carlisle's sudden smile gave me, but I savored it nonetheless. Emmett just shook his head in amused disapproval, and Eleazar burst out laughing, earning him another glare from Esme.

"I think it's a wonderful goal," she said in my defense, as she turned back to me. "I do, really. You know I always thought you would make a wonderful physician."

"I don't know if I'll make it that far," I admitted. "Even if my control is eventually as good as Carlisle's, I'll always look too young to really be a doctor."

"Let's take this one step at a time, shall we?" Carlisle said. "For one thing, we're about to head to the Amazon, and I wasn't planning on being anywhere near humans – or hospitals- down there. Let's give this some thought, and make a plan. And as pleased as I am with your progress, I think we have a ways to go before you're ready for the risks that medical school would bring. Stale blood- and in such a controlled setting- is quite different from the unexpected flow of fresh blood from a human patient. We're going to take this slow."

"Agreed," I said quickly. "And I realize that we might need to put this on hold, while we're traveling. There's no rush."

Esme laid her hand on my arm, looking up at me with love and pride. _I'm sorry for what I said before. __I see now why you want to keep challenging yourself. __If this is truly what you want, then you have my support._

I looked down at my mother, feeling a tug inside my dead heart. I was usually so focused on emulating Carlisle that I sometimes forgot how much Esme's love and approval meant to me. And I had forgotten that she had been the first one to truly believe that I could graduate medical school someday. Having her understand, and be proud of my decision, gave a whole new dimension to the joy that today's success had brought me.

I drew her close again, enveloping her in my arms as I shared a smile with Carlisle over her shoulder. "Thank you, Mom," I whispered in her ear.

.

.

.

Five days, twelve attempted seductions by Tanya, and one polar bear later, we were ready to begin our nomadic vacation, and our world tour. We had originally wanted to swim down through the Pacific to South America. But we had just been about to abandon this plan, in favor of travelling "dry", so that we could carry changes of clothes, maps, Carlisle's med kit, various identity documents, and currency, but Kate solved the problem for us.

Since they had a unique level of access to the wildlife in and around Alaska, the Denalis had always been in the habit of occasionally harvesting and curing hides from their prey. It was a hobby they all enjoyed, and it provided a nice income. So when we presented our dilemma, Kate said that she already knew how to construct water-tight rucksacks out of sealskin, so that we could swim without damaging the few items we would be carrying. Of course, Emmett's immediate response had been to ask what seal blood tasted like.

"It's an acquired taste," Kate had admitted. "I don't often feed from them myself, but their hides are excellent for things like this." She, Irina, and Esme had worked furiously during the final two days of our visit, preparing five of these sacks. They were worn on the back, firmly secured to the body by two vertical straps which passed down the front of the torso, and these straps could be adjusted for fit. Since we would be swimming, Kate had designed an extra strap across the front, connecting the two vertical ones. The only addition we would need to make to our "baggage" was a repair kit, so that Esme would be able to keep our rucksacks in top condition.

"You should sell these to high school students," I told Kate as I was being fitted for mine. "If they used something like this to carry their books, maybe I wouldn't have to listen to their mental griping about sore backs all day long."

She had just laughed and reminded me that, at least during the next leg of our travels, I wouldn't have to bother with _any_ human thoughts.

Hallelujah.

Before the Denalis saw us off, we all went down to Kodiak Island for one last hunt together. Emmett wanted to kick off our "World Safari", as he called it, by hunting the largest bear in the world. Eleazar was of the opinion that polar bears were the largest, while Tanya argued that Kodiak bears held the title, and that since she was the oldest, her vote held more weight. Emmett announced that the only fair way to decide was for him to hunt _both_ species, and then announce the winner. It wasn't a fair contest, of course- any given specimen could be any given size. But Tanya and Eleazar agreed to the contest, and their bet was that the loser would have to replace the siding on their entire house.

In the end, Emmett declared Tanya the winner. He had, before drinking, given both bears an experimental toss, and decided that the Kodiak seemed at least a hundred pounds heavier. Eleazar was a gracious loser, sheepishly admitting that he should have learned his lesson about betting after his loss the previous week to Carlisle.

After cleaning up and donning our rucksacks, we bade our cousins goodbye. Tanya somehow managed to get to me last, and I steeled myself for her final attempt. But she remembered her manners, for once, and I gratefully accepted her hug goodbye.

We dove into the ocean and began the long swim south. Emmett was hoping that we would encounter a Japanese submarine, but much to his disappointment, Carlisle's planned route would keep us fairly close to the Americas the entire time. In any case, he forbade Emmett from approaching one, were such an encounter to take place.

After a few tests, we decided that Kate's sacks were living up to her claim, and we spent much of the trip down near the ocean floor. It was rather disconcerting at first to go so long without air- sometimes six hours at a time- but it was worth it. There was a whole other world down here, and we were all surprised at the vibrancy of colors in a place where humans wouldn't normally have enough light to appreciate it. It just reminded us that there was more to our planet than humanity. And while I didn't really get a break from my family's thoughts, the relative silence of this new habitat was a treat. Most of what we heard was foreign to us- the shifting of an unknown animal against the seabed, the mating call of another, the sonar of another; it was delightful to be so disoriented, and I was glad that none of us had put too much time into researching this leg of our journey. We were used to being knowledgeable to the point of boredom; here, everything was new and mysterious.

A few of us tried feeding on some of the larger species, but it proved rather difficult, as we kept getting water in our noses. But on the fourth day, Emmett finally got his wish. We were a few feet under the surface when Rosalie spotted an enormous shadow drifting by us, perhaps a mile and half away.

_Japs!_ Emmett thought triumphantly. _I wonder if they have any legends about underwater vampires. __I'll bet that Rosalie could pass for a mermaid…_

I shook my head, gesturing to the surface. We all popped up and inhaled deeply, looking over toward where the mystery object lay hidden beneath the waves.

"There aren't any thoughts," I reported.

Carlisle grinned, looking at Emmett. "I think I know what it is. Listen."

We all stilled and turned one ear back down into the water, and sure enough, the slow, steady thud of a huge heart was just audible. A couple seconds later, we were rewarded by a swell in the water off to the right, and we all gasped in wonder as a geyser of ocean water exploded into the air.

"Looks like you've got your whale, Emmett," Carlisle announced. Emmett let out a whoop and we all followed him toward his prize. We caught up to it easily, and to our surprise, the whale didn't seem to mind our presence. I reached out and touched the skin as I floated by, intrigued by the toughness of it. I almost inhaled water again as my instincts screamed for me to take in the scent of this new, unorthodox prey.

We all waited, thinking that Emmett would like to make the kill. It was conceivable that all five of us would be able to feed from the whale at once- an arrangement that was impossible on land. The sheer size of the animal, and the way that our instincts were muted without our sense of smell, presented quite a unique opportunity. We would, of course, need to pull the carcass up to the surface in order to feed. What would it taste like?

But Emmett wasn't making his move. At first he was simply at a loss as to how to kill the creature- he knew nothing about whale anatomy, and he didn't want to strike in a way that would cause the whale any unnecessary suffering. It was an unspoken rule that we all followed, whenever we hunted. Kill first, feed second.

The longer Emmett delayed, the more reluctant he became. He was fascinated by the creature, and I was surprised to see the softening of his mind as he thought about what a shame it would be to kill such a magnificent, mysterious creature. He finally pointed to the surface, and we all joined him.

"I can't do it," he told us. _I can't kill it. __It's too beautiful._ "It's just too big," he said aloud. "Besides, this might be the only one we ever see. Can't we just follow it for a while?"

We all agreed, and dove down again. When we were both underwater, Emmett gave me an embarrassed nod, silently thanking me for not laughing at him. I just nodded back in approval- I hadn't wanted to kill it, either. We all swam back to the whale's side, and for the next two days, we followed it wherever it wanted to go. It was fascinating to observe the whale's habits, and to follow along in its graceful slow-motion dance through the ocean. And on the second day, we were treated to the haunting beauty of its song. Everyone agreed, later on, that this was one of the most spectacular sights we had encountered on our travels, and that Emmett had made the right decision.

.

.

.

We gave Mexico and Central America a wide berth. None of us really had any way of knowing what the status of the Southern Wars was right now, and we didn't want to find out. We continued south and, after waiting in the shallows until dark, made landfall in what we guessed to be the southern coast of Peru. We cut our way east under the cover of darkness, and, after cutting through a valley between the peaks of the Andes, soon entered the wild, tangled beauty of the Amazon Rainforest.

It was immediately apparent that this was a very different world than the temperate Rainforest we had left behind in Washington State. The diversity- especially in tree species- was astounding, and the ambient smell, while not unpleasant, was so heavy that I was at a loss as to the direction in which we should begin our hunt. It seemed that we were submerged in a field of varying shades of green, and the air was swimming with the scents of life, growth and death. At least the air itself was clearer here, despite the humidity.

We had all hunting sparingly during the final week of our swim, in anticipation of the prey awaiting us here. I, for one, was eager to see what jaguars were like, both in behavior and taste. Emmett had his heart set on finding an anaconda, and the others were just excited to be here, Carlisle especially. He had never been anywhere in South America before. Even Rosalie had her hair tied back, her appearance forgotten for now as she stood in wide-eyed appreciation of the new world she found herself in.

We decided to hunt right away. We traveled deeper into the heart of the Rainforest to minimize the chance of human interaction, and then went our separate ways, agreeing to meet back beside a certain tree at dawn.

I headed south, toward what was simply entitled "Wetlands" on my map. I didn't know much about jaguars, but I had learned that they could often be found near water. My sense of smell wasn't much help; there were so many new smells that I had never encountered before, that I couldn't make heads or tails of any of it. After wandering for hours and skipping over smaller prey, I finally decided to stand still for a while, and take it all in.

I closed my eyes and stood motionless for at least two hours, sifting through the scents one by one until I had a clearer idea of what was plant and what was animal. I finally opened my eyes and moved forward again toward the Wetlands, searching for any scent that reminded me of mountain lion. Finally, I was rewarded with a semi-familiar aroma dancing on the breeze off to my left. I started running, smiling when I heard the soft padding of cat's feet running away from me.

I finally caught sight of the jaguar entering a copse of ancient-looking trees at the edge of a marsh, and I splashed through the muddy obstacle with as little noise as possible. I caught up him again and chased him up one of the trees. I followed him out onto a branch, which was itself the diameter of a good-sized tree. He finally turned to face me, hissing his warning and backing away in a crouch, his tail twitching like an animal all its own.

He was the biggest cat I had ever hunted, and his color and markings were beautiful. He opened his huge jaws, displaying his razor-sharp teeth and roared. I grinned, closing my eyes against the hot wind of his breath. When he was finished, I roared back, and he jumped in surprise, scrambling to get away and losing his footing. But I was determined to complete the hunt up in the branches. I hooked my left knee around a knob in the branch, dropping the rest of my body to hang as I reached out, grabbing the jaguar with both arms as he fell. He roared in confusion, writhing in my embrace and trying to free his forelegs. I shuffled him higher in my grip- just to be fair- and he attacked my face with teeth and claws, all at once. I felt a little guilty as his teeth broke off against my throat, though; I hadn't intended for him to suffer at all. I shifted his body weight over to just my left arm, and wrapped my right elbow around his neck, killing him with a single jerk of my shoulder.

I drank him dry, still hanging upside down. The flavor was complex, but no better than that of his North American cousins- if anything, it was too tangy. But the final moments of the hunt had been quite challenging- I couldn't wait to tell Emmett.

It was almost dawn, and so I buried him quickly, running back to the meeting place. But as I approached my family, I could immediately tell that something was wrong. There were three unfamiliar scents on the air- vampires. I ran faster, passing through the trees as silently as I could. I finally picked up the minds of my family, and they were all standing in a… train station?

What was this? I was in the right place, wasn't I? Had they gone exploring, and found some sort of underground research facility? But there was no mistaking the image that was I was getting from their minds. They could all see each other, but instead of the Rainforest, they were standing in what reminded me of the subway stations in New York City. I could even see the tracks. What…?

I ran closer, hearing the frantic questions in their minds and conversation. It seemed that they had been all gathered by the appointed tree, waiting for me, when the train station had suddenly appeared around them. It was dark, lit only by a few gaslights up on the brick walls. In fact, it was _too_ dark- a vampire standing in such a place should have much better vision than what they were experiencing. They were huddled together on the platform, wondering if they should try walking down the tracks, or stay still. They had caught the scent of the three strangers, but hadn't encountered them yet. Maybe they _were_ underground. Where was the entrance to the station?

I could hear the three strangers' thoughts now, but I couldn't understand a word of it. The mental voices were all feminine, and the harsh, hostile tone of the thoughts made me break into a sprint. I could see my family through their eyes, huddled together- but standing in the Rainforest, where they _should_ be. To my relief, I soon saw them with my own eyes, and I ran into the clearing to join them, scanning the trees for the –

I gasped, the green lightness of the Rainforest disappearing instantly to be replaced by the train station. I stumbled in my shock, halting my run before I fell off of the platform. It was so dark I could barely see my own feet. How did I get here?!

"Edward!" Carlisle said in relief. "Are you seeing what we are?"

I spun around, feeling panicked and closed in by the walls which had suddenly appeared around me. "Yes. There are three strangers looking down at us," I said quickly. "And there isn't a train station. We're standing in the rainforest."

"I know," he answered in confusion. "Touch the ground."

I knelt down, reaching my hand out to touch the cold cement of the platform. But what I felt was the soft, damp soil of the forest floor. I stood up again, closing my eyes and searching for the three minds I had heard. I could hear them coming from almost directly above us now- definitely three women, and they were still watching us stand still in our confusion. I opened my eyes, looking up at the dark ceiling above me, moving my gaze to where I guessed the women were in reality.

I heard three feminine gasps of surprise, and two of the viewpoints shifted to show me the third woman: her appearance itself was quite fierce, but I was more concerned with the way she bared her teeth and opened her eyes wider as she stared down at us. I heard my family cry out in alarm, and I opened my eyes to see the walls of the train station beginning to move inward, the station shrinking closer to us on all sides.

"They're going to crush us!" Esme cried, pressing backwards into Carlisle's chest. _How?!_

"Everyone, stay calm!" Carlisle ordered. "It's not real- and even if these were real walls, we wouldn't be crushed. Edward?"

"Three women, and they're right above us, in the trees," I said quickly, moving my gaze back up. "I think one of them is gifted. She's staring down at us, and her mind is the only one sharing the-"

Everything went black, and I looked around wildly, my body crouching down in a defensive posture. I could still hear the others, but they all shared my blindness. At least Carlisle and Esme had been touching, and could still feel each other's embrace, though Esme began to cry anyway. Emmett and Rosalie were both snarling as they lashed out blindly, trying to find each other.

I found myself taking deep breaths, in a human effort to calm myself down. This was the first time in twenty-two years that I had experienced total darkness, and it would have been terrifying, without the extra sight of my gift. Still, it took every ounce of effort to stand up straight again, closing my eyes and returning my focus to the woman's mind. She was definitely the one causing the illusion- and it was definitely a supernatural gift, not a device. I could practically feel the vibrations coming out of her mind, just like the intangible flare I had observed in Eleazar's gift, while he was using it to examine my own. I tilted my head up and forced my eyes to gaze up into the eerie darkness, using my gift to watch myself through the stranger's mind. I adjusted my gaze until I was looking at my own eyes, and grinned slightly as her mind recoiled in fear.

"Release us," I said with as much authority as I could muster. "We will not harm you."

She answered me with the most terrifying illusion of all. I was suddenly standing in an open field of snow, with an army of snarling vampires running toward me. My body tried to react, but I held on, refusing to release her from my blind gaze. "Release us!" I demanded again. "We did not realize this was your territory. We only wish to speak with you!"

The illusions melted away, and we all jerked again in surprise as the Rainforest reappeared. I pointed up to where I was hearing the minds from, and three female vampires melted out of the camouflage of the trees, landing in unison in front of us. All three were wild-looking, and very imposing. They were all quite tall and thin, as if someone had stretched them. Was this an illusion as well? But it didn't seem to be. Instead of dresses, they were attired in various scraps of leather, jaguar hide and some sort of plant-based cloth. All three had long black hair, braided down their backs. Their skin was a chalky olive tone, evidence of darker skin in their human lives, and all three looked as if they might be related. They stood in a tight triangle, surveying us with apprehension.

Carlisle stepped forward, holding his hands up peaceably. "We mean you no harm," he said gently. "Can you understand English?"

"We understand you," the tallest woman said. Her voice was a deep, rich contralto, and she spoke with perfect pronunciation. To my consternation, they all continued thinking in their native language, even as they spoke and processed our own tongue.

"But we do not understand how you have confounded my sister's gift," said another. Both she and the first speaker glanced to the third woman, who was looking at me with fury in her eyes- but with a very subtle smile, at the same time.

"I am gifted as well," I announced, stepping forward and meeting her gaze again. "I am a reader of minds."

She inclined her head slightly, as if in respect. I stifled a sigh of relief as her thoughts switched effortlessly to English. _Is this better, mind-reader?_

"Yes, thank you," I said politely, nodding back to her. As if on cue, the other two sisters began thinking in English, as well. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, wondering if their minds were somehow connected, like the wolves.

"I am Zafrina," the gifted one said, speaking aloud for the first time. "And these are my sisters, Kachiri and Senna," nodding to each as she spoke their name. Kachiri was tallest one- the one who had spoken first.

"I am Carlisle Cullen," my father replied, lowering his hands slowly. "This is my wife, Esme. These are Rosalie and Emmett, and the mind reader is Edward."

"What is wrong with your eyes, Carlisle Cullen?" Kachiri asked.

"This is their normal appearance," Carlisle answered. "We don't drink human blood- we only hunt animals. Our diet is reflected in our eye color."

All three women raised their eyebrows in surprise and amusement. "You sustain yourself this way?" Zafrina asked, her superior smirk returning.

"Yes," Carlisle replied. "We believe in respecting human life."

"How strange," Zafrina said, laughing a little. I shivered slightly- even when she laughed, she looked menacing. Her mind was flying through some of her more recent hunts, in villages scattered throughout the Rainforest.

"So, you see," Carlisle continued, "We are not in competition with you in this territory, since we seek different prey. But if you are uncomfortable with our presence, we will leave in peace."

"Most peculiar," Zafrina said again, shaking her head. "You are unlike any vampire we have ever met, Carlisle Cullen." _So calm and civilized. __So… human._

"Don't go," Kachiri said, raising one hand to us. "We find you interesting. Travel with us."

"And we apologize for our deception earlier," Zafrina added. "It is not often that we meet with others of our kind."

"So when you do meet them, that's how you say hello?" Emmett muttered.

Zafrina held his stare. "Yes. And that is also how we say goodbye," she said evenly.

I swallowed, realizing how easy it would have been to destroy us as we stood there, blind. Even with my ability, I might not have been able to react in time. And if I had shown any sort of organized defense, they probably would have just dismembered me before the others.

"I don't get it," Emmett said darkly. _I mean, I do, but I hope I'm wrong._

"We do not kill all our visitors," Zafrina qualified, attempting to make her voice sound calm like Carlisle's. _Most of them, yes. __But not all. __Not these. __Most peculiar!_

"I'm curious why you did not attack us, when you had the chance," Carlisle asked delicately.

"Your coven is unusually large," Kachiri answered. "And we always like to observe our enemies while they are subjected to my sister's gift."

"You learn a lot about a person by how they react to something like that," Senna finished, her gaze flickering to me with accusation.

"I have a question, as well," I said. "How old are you? And how are you so… connected, mentally? It's as if the three of you are always ready to finish each other's sentences."

"We are old," Kachiri said simply. "Though I am eldest. After I was changed, I returned to my human village and made my two closest friends like me. Now they are my sisters."

"And when you have been with someone a long time, it is easy to think together," Senna added, echoing the words in her sisters' mind. "You will understand, in a millennium or so."

Carlisle sighed in wonder, and glanced over at me. _Anything we need to worry about? __If not, I'd like to take them up on their offer._

As much as my instincts were itching to run away from these women, I shook my head. I was intrigued, as well. And despite the evidence to the contrary, I didn't believe we had anything to fear.

"If my family does not object," Carlisle said to all of us, "I will accept your offer to travel together for a while. I am curious to learn more about you, and this habitat."

Rosalie, of all people, was the first to nod her agreement. She was fascinated by these women- they were just so _other_, that they seemed almost a different species. Emmett sighed in resignation, and Esme slipped her hand nervously in Carlisle's, nodding her agreement, as well.

We spent a full week with the Amazons, as we had unofficially named them. They took us on a lightning-speed tour of their home, circling up through Brazil, and passing back down through Bolivia to show us their beloved Wetlands, which was where they had lived as humans, and where they spent most of their time now. It seemed that the sisters had never left South America even once, though they had, over uncounted years, travelled every inch of the continent, including the cities.

As we began to relax around our new friends, we told them more about our unusual diet, which was endlessly amusing to them. They insisted on watching us hunt, and helped me find another jaguar. When I came out of my frenzy, I was annoyed to find all three women laughing at me, though not unkindly. I regained my pride by boasting to Emmett about my upside-down meal the day before. He was duly impressed, and grudgingly admitted that he hadn't been able to find an anaconda.

The Amazons promptly found one and brought it to him, waiting to see what he would do. But as with the whale, he was at a loss as to how to even begin feeding. He picked up the thirty-foot snake, shrieking in delight when it wound itself around him, coiling again and again until he looked like a stack of tires. Kachiri finally took pity on him and showed him where the heart was, which he promptly bit.

We all waited curiously, and I took advantage of the new knowledge Eleazar had given me about my gift. I closed my eyes, fully entering Emmett's mind and experiencing the taste with him. It was rather oily and bland, though not unpleasant.

"That was _amazing,"_ Emmett sighed when he was finished. "Brings back memories of frying up rattlesnake with my Granddad when I was a kid." We all just laughed, trying to picture Emmett tossing the anaconda in a huge frying pan.

Throughout the week, the Amazons were more than happy to help us in our quest to experience the exotic flavors of the Rainforest. We tried tapir, capybara, ocelot, giant river otter, sloth, tayassu tajacu, and even a few breeds of monkeys. Emmett's anaconda remained his favorite flavor, although his favorite hunt was, hands down, vampire bat.

"Vampire bat," Rosalie echoed in disbelief, when he announced his plan.

"Yeah! Come on, you all have to admit this is our kind of prey! One sanguinivore devouring another!"

"Ugh! They're rodents, Emmett!"

"They're not rodents," I corrected, "And I'd also be curious to see they taste like, considering their diet. But I think you're forgetting something, Emmett. They can _fly_."

Emmett raised an eyebrow in superior fashion, and Rosalie doubled over laughing when she realized that he was imitating me. "I know they can fly," he said slowly. _Idiot._ "That's why this hunt is going to be so much fun."

The Amazons thought Emmett's idea was intriguing, and tagged along to watch. They took us to a hidden cave, motioning us inside.

"No, I want to _hunt_ them," Emmett reminded them. "Not snack on them in their sleep. Where's the challenge?"

So we stood silently by the entrance, waiting until nightfall, when the bats would come out to hunt. While we waited, Zafrina entertained us all with her gift, showing us some of the places she had visited in her long life. Now that we weren't afraid, we all enjoyed the illusions. And for the first time ever, the rest of my family had their first taste of what it was like to be a telepath. Being bombarded by another's mind with whatever they chose to give you- it was something I had always endured alone, and it was rather nice to have my loved ones understand _me_ a bit better.

"I'm curious, Zafrina," I asked as I wandered silently through the streets of Quito, "have you ever tried giving sound, along with the illusions?"

"I cannot, young Edward," she admitted. "Though my gift has grown slowly over time. At first I could only give the illusion to one person, and it was a still picture. Now I can affect an entire group, if they are directly in front of me, and I can create moving images, as you see. Perhaps in another thousand years I will achieve sound, and in another thousand, texture."

Carlisle was especially intrigued with some of the older images- it seemed that the sisters dated back to a time long before the Incan civilization. When we finally had our sight back, we all felt very, very young standing next to these women. And reflecting on Zafrina's gift made me wonder about my own. Would I ever be able to develop it further, in range or power? I wasn't sure I wanted either, but it was an intriguing thought, nonetheless.

When it was quite dark, the bats began flying out, their eerie sonar-song whizzing through the air as they passed us. The airborne colony spun around us a couple of times in confusion, and then dispersed. Emmett and Rosalie decided to follow a bat who had flown off toward the East, and so I followed them- I knew that we all couldn't share the miniature meal, but I was curious to see what Emmett was going to do. How was he possibly going to catch it?

We lost the bat almost immediately, and their scent was so bland that we couldn't hunt them that way, either. It proved much easier to follow their sonar. We darted around for a while, chasing the elusive bats, until we found one latched on the neck of some kind of sleeping pig. Emmett crept up behind it and pounced, but the bat danced away through the air. Emmett jumped with everything he had, but it wasn't enough. When his ascent began to slow, he grabbed a nearby vine and began swinging through the trees, his Tarzan yell echoing through the night. He swung around the area in a wide circle, and soon picked up the sonar of another vampire bat in his path, stretching his arm out and catching the bat's wing as he passed. He fed in mid-swing and somersaulted back to the ground beside us, bowing to our applause.

"Well?" Rosalie asked.

"It's… complicated. Like drinking ten different animals at once," he said thoughtfully, running his tongue around inside his mouth. "I know I can taste tapir, and I think… monkey?"

We all returned to the cave, easily catching and tasting some of the bats that were perched inside. Emmett was right- I tasted three bats and each one was different, depending on what they had fed on. And the blood in their tiny stomachs was different from their circulatory blood. It was, by far, the most complex meal we had ever had. We felt positively gourmet.

My personal favorite- in terms of taste- was still jaguar, but I was surprised to find caiman a close second. The flavor was spicy and sweet all at once, and the wrestling was fantastic. It turned out the Amazons sometimes wrestled the caimans as well, just for fun. Senna even tried feeding on one while her sisters looked on in disgust, but she spat the blood back out almost immediately.

"What's the matter, Senna?" Emmett laughed. "Crocodile got your tongue?"

She frowned, wiping the blood away distastefully. "What?" _These Americans are so uncivilized!_

He just sighed. "Nothing." _Nobody gets me._

"This is awful," she growled. "I do not see how you sustain yourself on such poor fare. Why don't you come hunting with _us_ tonight?"

We all declined politely, and decided it was as good a time as any to move on. Carlisle told them that he would like to travel back West and check out the Andes next, and our new friends gave us directions to some of the places that they thought we might find interesting.

"I am sure Emmett will find the condors challenging," Senna said a smirk, "now that he is an expert in aerial hunting."

"You should see him hunt underwater," I muttered under my breath, earning a curious smile from all three sisters.

"Birds?" Emmett echoed, his eyes growing wide. _I never even thought about that…_

Carlisle smiled pleasantly, bowing his head slightly as the sisters turned to go. "Zafrina, Kachiri, Senna. Meeting you all has been an extraordinary pleasure. I hope to see you again one day."

"And you as well, Carlisle Cullen," Zafrina said with a warm smile. I wasn't afraid of her anymore- still, I would hate to be on her bad side. "We have enjoyed your visit." She pledged her coven's eternal friendship with our own, and invited us to visit again in a century or so.

After bidding the Amazons goodbye, we decided to reach the Andes through Peru, back the way we had come. After that, the plan was to follow the range south through Argentina.

And then?

We were as free as we had ever been. In the few short weeks since our departure from Washington, we had encountered sights, flavors, and people that we could never have dreamed about before now. And the strangest feature of our journey so far: we hadn't encountered a human in weeks, and we had no plans to do so in the near future. Carlisle's thoughts were going a mile a minute, remembering his travels in previous centuries, and planning possible routes that we might take now out of South America. He was immensely proud to be traveling the world with his family this time, instead of alone.

As we began our ascent toward the cloudy peaks of the Andes, my own heart was light, and my mind was swimming with possibilities. Carlisle had urged all of us to choose some of our destinations, and I began to wonder what I would like to try. Antarctica? The jungles of India? The sky was the limit. And, as Emmett had proved this week, even that was not totally closed to us. Would humans, and even vampires, someday journey away from the earth, in pursuit of the stars?

But for now, I was excited with our plans, and hopeful for the near future. If my success with the blood challenges continued, it was conceivable that I might be ready to enter medical school before long. Of course, the outcome of the War would have an impact on that possibility. By the time I did get to medical school, would all of my lectures be in German? It was a sobering thought. But regardless of the future that awaited our human peers, my own was bright. There was only one thing missing, and that was having someone to share my future _with._

I had my family, and I loved each one dearly. And I would not betray the thoughts that Rosalie and Emmett were attempting to hide from me: they were thinking about going off on their own soon, though not for the reasons that I had thirteen years ago. They had every intention of keeping to vegetarianism; they just wanted to see what it was like to live on their own, and perhaps play older roles for a while. When the time was right, they would tell Carlisle and Esme. I would stay, of course; Esme would be heartbroken if all of us were to leave at once. And it would be rather nice to be an only child again for a while. Besides, where would I go, if I was alone? Half the fun of traveling was sharing the experience with those I loved. Perhaps someday, I would travel the world again, with my wife at my side.

I froze, halting my climb up the side of the mountain. We had just met three new females because of our travels, hadn't we? And while I hadn't felt drawn to any of them, it was entirely possible that during our travels, I _would_ encounter my mate. Perhaps-

A shock went through me, and I gasped aloud at the strength of it. What if I was going to meet her _this year_? We were on a world tour, after all! I had, with increasing frequency, felt a longing for the missing half of me, but my daydreams about her had always had a "someday" quality. What if my waiting was almost done?

What if she were waiting for me, here in the Andes? Sitting there in Washington State, wondering if I would ever meet someone, was one thing- but here I was, actively combing the world with my family. Who knew what other vampires we would stumble upon?

I grinned- it was a fool's hope, I knew- but I reached up to the next rock with renewed vigor, and started to climb faster.

**The End**

* * *

**Up next, the one we've all been waiting for... 1950! I am leaving tomorrow on vacation, so it will be a couple of weeks before that story begins. (I will post an announcement here when the first chapter goes up.) I hope you enjoyed the final installment of 1936- please take a moment to review with your final thoughts :) As always, I have to say thank you for all the wonderful reviews, and for enjoying the Tale Of Years along with me. And don't forget to request outtakes as you read along!**

**See you all in a couple of weeks! Thanks for reading!**


	12. Announcement: 1950

**I completely forgot to make the announcement on here, sorry! As most of you have probably figured out by now, 1950 is up :) **


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